


Sensus Divinitatis

by orphan_account



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: AU, Apocalypse, Horror, M/M, Mystery, Semi-Canon Compliant, Supernatural Elements, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2016-01-06
Packaged: 2018-05-02 10:35:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5245091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It begins with a prophecy and ends with Judgement Day. What happens in between will determine the fate of the human race. The murders of the Gundam Pilots were only the catalyst, the beginning of the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. June 23rd, AC 206, 3:31am

Preventers' Headquarters had been in a continuous flurry since the first call came in. They were going after this with everything they had. The former Gundam Pilots may not have been official Preventers, but they'd worked alongside the organization on many occasions. Whoever did this, had killed their own. It was personal.

They were coordinating with the numerous Preventers' precincts located all over the world and scattered throughout the colonies. Local, regional, and international law enforcement were also involved in the investigation. General Une's team at Headquarters were given status reports, updated on any new information, every hour, like clockwork. APB's had gone out all over the place, spreading like a virus. Leads traveled with lightning speed between secured channels, orders to follow up on new ones going back and forth every few seconds.

Une, herself, running on adrenaline and less than twenty minutes sleep, was barking those orders nonstop. She demanded status updates every fifteen minutes, and threatened anyone who crossed her path with anything that wasn't pertinent to the investigation, or the manhunt that was currently underway since the bodies were discovered.

Murdered, in their homes, in cold blood. The former Gundam Pilots had been tortured and killed so brutally, investigators surmised that whoever did it, harbored a terrible grievance.

Sitting at her desk, she rubbed her eyes, and skimmed the reports again.

Gundam Pilot 01, Heero Yuy, age twenty six, slashed to death in the home he shared with former co-pilot Duo Maxwell. His body had been found on the kitchen floor. The remnants of a shattered mug laid in pieces around him. Spilled tea mixed with the puddles and rivulets of blood that soaked through the wooden floor boards. His body was covered in so many deep cuts, they penetrated his skin and sliced through muscle and tendons where glimpses of bone could be seen. It was impossible to tell where they started and where they ended. The final cut was made across his throat, nearly decapitating him. He'd been found lying on his side. The murder weapon was a machete. It was placed next to his body, lying ominously in a large pool of congealed blood.

Gundam Pilot 02, Duo Maxwell, age twenty six, was found slumped near the front door. A thin chain made from the strongest gundanium metal was wrapped around his neck, the skin of which was torn and bloody from the intense pressure and from Maxwell's struggling. His face was puffed and blotched purple. His colorless eyes bulged out from their sockets, sunbursts of red dotted the sclera. His long braid had been laid across his face, partly stuffed into his open mouth. His palms were scratched and scraped, likely from Maxwell digging his nails into the skin while he fought for precious oxygen.

Gundam Pilot 03, Trowa Barton, age twenty seven, bludgeoned to death. The attacker apparently snuck up on him after he came home from work. He never knew what hit him, having lost consciousness from the first blow. He'd been struck over a dozen times. The floor beneath his body was covered in blood, the walls splattered with it. The blows were so forceful, they'd shattered his skull. The weapon, a crowbar, was laid across his back.

Gundam Pilot 04, Quatre Raberba Winner, age twenty six, was found in his bed with a total of thirty seven stab wounds. Investigators speculated that he'd already been killed before Barton returned home. Blood coated the walls, the headboard, the nightstands, and soaked through the bedding. The pillows, sheets, blankets, and mattress were torn to shreds, down feathers scattered everywhere. A large butcher knife, covered in blood, was carefully laid on the table beside the bed.

Gundam Pilot 05, Chang Wufei, age twenty six, was discovered pinned to a wall of his home by his beloved collection swords and  _katanas_. He was found upright, hanging by the blades that had been thrust through his shoulders and penetrated the wall behind him. Additional blades had been driven through his torso and legs. A final one stuck out from the center of his forehead. His off and on lover, Zechs Merquise, was nowhere to be found.

Their times of death were placed between the hours of seven and nine in the evening on the night of June 21st, AC 206. Given the distance between the homes of the victims, it was determined that there must have been more than one killer. Rather, multiple individuals were responsible for these crimes. A global-wide security crisis was declared and terrorism task forces deployed.

Leads were flowing in so often and so fast, they were having difficulty keeping up. Une was sending rotating shifts in constant streams of both high-ranking officers, and lowly grunts alike to follow up on those leads, but they were going nowhere. Une was quickly losing control of her patience.

She'd already issued a global-wide gag order to keep the media away as long as possible. The request was personally approved by the Prime Minister of Earth Sphere Unified Nations less than an hour ago. 

Sally Po, who'd been off shift when news of the murders broke, came in to help and she'd been there ever since. She chugged one coffee and energy drink after another in an attempt to keep sleep at bay. When she couldn't stave off exhaustion any longer, she dozed at her desk in short intervals, much like Une had been doing.

The Preventers surrounded the homes of the murdered Gundam Pilots and the crime scenes were locked down tight. Nothing could get in, or out without Une's say so. She'd sent her best and brightest to comb the victims' homes and the surrounding areas centimeter by centimeter, to be sure absolutely nothing slipped through the cracks. Neighboring homes were being searched and the residents thoroughly questioned. Wooded areas were scouted for any possible evidence. Everything down to the smallest fibers were bagged up to be taken to Preventers' crime labs to be examined by their best experts.

The bodies of the pilots had been removed from the homes once clearance was given and taken by secure transport to a military protected medical facility where autopsies would be conducted and evidence would be collated. The large hospital complex was surrounded by tall , electrified, barbed wire fences and monitored by state-of-the-art security systems. Armored guards stood at their posts, both in and outside the building, preventing any unauthorized persons from entering the complex. They stood, silent and still, their automatic weapons in their hands, barrels pointed at the ground.

Une rubbed away a developing headache in her temples as she had her assistant pull up the names and contact information for the pilots' next of kins. She prayed to a god she didn't believe in that the families could be notified before the media clamped their exploitative jaws around this quagmire.

 


	2. June 23rd, AC 206, 4:04am

Sally sighed in exhaustion and rubbed her dry eyes. She was so tired, she was having difficulty seeing the words on the screen in front of her. She needed some fresh air.

She put her computer into a doze, took a swig of her energy drink, stood, and grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair.

She exited the building out the side door and stood with her back against the brick wall, inhaling cool air. It did help to wake her sluggish brain up a bit. She let out a long breath, leaned her head against the wall, and rubbed her eyes again. This was Hell.

She’d volunteered to notify Hilde, Relena, and Trowa's and Quatre's sisters. She’d also had to tell Relena that her brother was missing. They were her friends. It was only right that the news came from her.

She closed her eyes, bitter tears stinging them, as she remembered how they had all broken down. The devastation on their faces tore through her heart like splinters of glass.

Iria Winner tried to remain professional, but she couldn’t hide the agony she was feeling, the tears that shone in her eyes, or how her voice caught and trembled when she thanked Sally for informing her. Quatre was the baby of thirty children and her only brother. She not only had a funeral to plan now, but she'd also have to contact their other twenty eight sisters and let them know what had happened to their little brother. She also promised that she would pass on the information to Rashid, and the other Maguanacs, despite Sally offering to do it for her. The independent Jordanian army and their leader would be inconsolable when they found out that their beloved co-commander, their Master Quatre, was gone.

Cathy Bloom hadn’t held up much better. Sally did have a little trouble finding her at first, since the circus was currently travelling, but she’d eventually located her in a small town on one of the L1 colony clusters. Her face had gone ghostly white and she’d made a small noise in the back of her throat. Her shaking hand had risen up to cover her mouth. Her eyes were wide with shock and tears collected at the bottom of her lids before spilling down her cheeks. She’d been virtually speechless and only nodded when Sally asked if she was going to be okay. Sally’s heart broke for her. Trowa was her only blood relative and the two were very close. Sally sincerely hoped someone would be there to comfort her.

Hilde initially expressed shock and then anger. She wanted to know who, what, when, and why, and she wanted to know yesterday. Her boyfriend sat beside her as Sally reiterated the news and rubbed her back soothingly. Sally had no doubt the terrible sadness would overtake her at some point, but for the moment, rage and the need for justice took priority. Duo was her first love and her best friend. Someone was going to pay.

Relena didn’t bother with any pretense of self-control. She’d sobbed brokenly, her face buried in her hands. Sally bit back her own tears of grief. She was working. She didn’t get paid to break down over cases, even those close to her heart. She would grieve later, after her friends were buried, and the sick bastards who committed these crimes were brought to justice.

Relena inquired about her brother, asking if he was a suspect. Her eyes begged for it not to be true. Sally was relieved to be able to reassure her, at least presently, that there was no evidence that Zechs was involved. Though his unknown whereabouts were raising serious questions, but Sally didn’t need to tell Relena that until there was something to tell. They were searching for him, too. They had no idea if he was also a victim and if so, where his body was located. But Sally didn't think so. The killers almost seemed to be boasting about their crimes. Very deliberately leaving the murder weapons next to, or on top of, the victims. If Zechs met the same fate, Sally believed he would have been found already, in a similar state as the other five victims.

Though the Preventers were not privvy to the private relationship between Zechs Merquise and Chang Wufei, they’d been able to surmise, with reasonable certainty, that Zechs had not been inside Chang’s home for a few weeks before the murders took place. In fact, there were no reports of him having been anywhere near any of the former pilots for at least a few months prior. Of course, nothing could be ruled out, but Sally was relatively confident that Zechs was, at the very minimum, not directly involved.

For one thing, there was no motive. No logical one anyway. At least where the other four victims were concerned. If it was a crime of passion between himself and Chang, there would have been no need to go after the other pilots. Unless he was concerned about retribution.

Still, even if Zechs did carry out these murders, he hadn’t acted alone, and that threw the whole crime of passion theory out the window. This was premeditated. It was organized. It was a brutal, almost ritualistic massacre. The five former Gundam pilots had been executed, but for what reason, remained a mystery. The unanswered questions were driving her crazy.

Sally sighed and checked her watch. Une expected her to be at Sanq’s secured military compound in three hours to oversee the autopsies. She shuddered at the thought of seeing her friends laid out on the cold, metal slabs, cut open and dissected. She was a doctor. She’d seen enough blood and guts to last her a lifetime, but when people she cared about were involved, it was a tough pill to swallow.

A commotion in the sky jerked her attention back to reality. Overhead, a large flock of birds were swooping and diving erratically. Parts of the flock veered off course and then tried to right themselves again, unfortunately colliding with some of the others and falling to the ground, wings and necks broken. They seemed confused, frantic. Their squawking was high-pitched, sounding almost panicked. They circled the Preventers’ Headquarters and surrounding area, trying to figure out which way they were supposed to be going. The complex murmurations that controlled their speed and direction seemingly getting crossed, or broken down altogether. Their communication signal getting lost somewhere among the flock.

They swooped around the building again, screeching so loudly that Sally had to cover her ears. More birds, perhaps getting the wrong signal again, flew away from the flock, and then tried to move back in. Their elevations alternated dramatically, some darting up and down in the air so quickly, Sally couldn’t keep track of them. A few hit the building with sickening force. Their twisted bodies twitched and writhed in their final death throes, before going still forever. Sally ducked back inside and watched through the door as the flock finally disappeared behind the trees. The faint echo of their eerie cries still reaching her ears.

She looked off to the side to see that the two guards standing post near the side door had hunkered down slightly, apparently also worried about getting their heads bashed in by bird missiles. They straightened, looking bewildered, then glanced over at Sally and shared mutual expressions of shock and awe.

“What the _hell_ was that?” Sally exclaimed.

“No idea, Sir. No idea.”

 


	3. June 23th, AC 206, 5:36am

Relena Peacecraft gazed out the large stained glass window in the parlor of her villa located on the outskirts of Sanq. Heavy rain had been falling uncharacteristically for two days, causing ponding and flooding in the region's low-lying areas. Villagers were tirelessly working to minimize the damage by filling bags of sand and building temporary levies to keep out the over-abundance of water and protect the village's infrastructure.

The excess precipitation began in the late evening hours of June 21st and had not stopped since. It seemed the earth itself was grieving.

Relena hadn't moved much since she'd received the call from Sally about the murder of her friends. She hadn't eaten, or slept. She just sat, numbly watching the rain through the window. The house was silent except for the heavy percussion hitting the roof and pounding against the siding and windows. She'd stopped every timepiece in the house the moment she'd been told what had happened. It was the first thing she'd done.

Looking back, she almost laughed at the absurdity of her state of mind. She didn't know _why_  she'd been overcome with the compulsion to cease the progression of the clocks. It was an old-fashioned custom, out of practice long before the colonies even existed.

They were the antique kind that her grandmother had been so fond of. In this day and age, digital clocks were the norm, but like her grandmother, Relena preferred the ornate beauty of the hand-carved wooden clocks from the days where life was simpler. When handmade craftsmanship was held in high regard, before the industrial revolution forever changed the landscape of manufacturing. Relena loved to listen to their soothing,  _tick tock, tick tock_ , and the melodic chimes that marked every quarter hour.

Jillian, her servant and companion was her only company since she'd learned of the terrible fate of her friends. With the exception of her and Sally, Relena refused to see, or speak to anyone else. Instead, she sat, watching out the window as the world washed away in a sea of gloom and torrential rain, and she thought it might not be a terrible way to meet one's end. She imagined herself, sitting as she was now, at the walnut table that was used at tea time. She imagined being engulfed as water filled the room and indeed, the whole villa.

She imagined the frigid water swirling around her feet and ankles, slowly rising up to consume her calves and within minutes, it would lap at her waist. She imagined feeling the icy cold grip of hypothermia as the water rose to her chest. She imagined her breath hitching in panic as the water reached her chin, her mouth, her nose, and finally swallowing her whole. She imagined sitting under the water, her body numb from the cold, still staring out the window...and seeing the hazy silhouettes of her five deceased friends, watching, waiting to see if she'd succumb to the freezing temperatures first, or the lack of oxygen.

She imagined a flash and suddenly they were right outside her window. All five of them. Looking exactly the same as they had the last time she'd seen them, only a month ago. Their faces wavered and distorted, blurred around the edges as she stared at them through the murky water. They stared back, their emotionless eyes chilling her to the bone.

She wanted to go to them, to ask them what happened.  _Who_  had done this to them? But she found she couldn't move. She was frozen to her chair. She could feel her lungs beginning to spasm, fighting to take a breath and she pressed her lips together. Her survival instincts took over as the muscles in her mouth and throat convulsed, trying to force her to _breathe_. She shook her head in a futile attempt to prevent it, knowing that if she did, she would suck in a lungful of water and drown. The eerily calm faces of her friends still watched her through the stained glass window.

The edges of her vision began to blacken and spread into her direct line of sight. She felt light headed and woozy from lack of air. She was losing consciousness. She was drowning.

She found herself on the cusp of life and death. Her brain fired out desperate signals in a frenzied attempt to hold on to precious life. Trying to get her body to do something,  _anything_  to keep it alive. And still she sat, immobile.

A fraction of a second before she succumbed to eternal blackness, another flash went off behind her eyes. The dead Gundam Pilots outside the window were no longer there, but instead directly in front of her. Their faces hovered inches from hers. Their mouths opened in a silent scream, but still their eyes remained lifeless.

As her eyes rolled back into her head and her body went lax with death, a voice whispered against her ear, sounding ridiculously clear despite the roar of the water. Her dying brain recognized the voice, not registering the impossibility. The voice, non-sensical in her mind, hissed two words in a language long forgotten...

" _..._ elena?  _Miss Relena!"_

Relena jolted. She convulsed and flailed, nearly falling out of her chair. She leaned forward, gripping the table to keep her balance, overcome with dizziness. Her body, now realizing that there was precious oxygen to breathe, drew lungfuls of it to replete her starved brain. She choked and coughed and hacked, greedily gulping in mouthfuls of air.

Her mind snapped to awareness and she frantically looked around the room and outside the window for the five young men who had been so brutally taken from the world. They were  _here_. She'd  _seen_  them.

Jillian was still shouting her name, shaking her shoulder with a trembling hand. There were tears in her eyes. She was panicked as she tried to rouse Relena from what looked like a horrible seizure. She'd thought her friend was dying. Relena had gone rigid, her body stiffened like a steel beam. It was frighteningly reminiscent of the time Jillian  found her dead father, deep into post mortem rigor mortis. Relena had stopped breathing. Then she'd twitched and shook with uncontrollable tremors and her eyes rolled back into her head. She'd been completely unresponsive.

Relena finally seemed to come around. The color returning to her face as she regained full cognizance.

"Where are they?" Relena asked, desperately.

"Who?"

"The - the boys...my friends. They were here."

"The ones who were killed?"

" _Yes!_  They were  _here!"_   Relena slapped the table and looked out the window again. She saw only her yard, saturated in heavy rain. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"Miss Relena, there's no one here but you and I. Maybe we should get you to a hospital."

Relena shook her head. "No. I don't need a hospital. I'm not crazy. They were here and I saw them. I don't know  _why_ , but I think they were trying to tell me something."

"Miss Relena, I must respectfully disagree. You had some sort of fit. You stopped breathing! You turned  _blue!_  I'm really worried about you!"

"I'm fine now." Relena waved her hand. " _Really_ , I'm okay! You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm probably just tired. I've barely gotten any sleep. Maybe I should just get some rest."

Jillian looked dubious, but she knew her mistress was as stubborn as they came. If she didn't want to do something, it wasn't going to happen.

"Well...okay. If you're sure. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I'm just very tired." Relena said with mild impatience, not wanting to be coddled. "I'm just going to lie down for a while."

"Yes, Miss Relena. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I don't need anything. I'm just going to get some rest."

"I'll draw you a hot bath when you get up. Do you think you might be able to eat something tonight?"

"Mmm...perhaps. I'll let you know later. No need to fuss now, I'll be alright."

"Yes, Madame." Jillian busied herself with clearing the tea table while Relena stood and stretched, still a little unsteady. Her mind reeled at what she'd just experienced. What on  _earth_  had just happened to her? Did she really just see ghosts? Was she hallucinating as a result of grief and exhaustion?

She slowly climbed the stairs, holding the rail tightly to keep her balance. Jillian stood at the bottom of the stairwell, nervously watching to make sure Relena didn't stumble, or worse, and take a fall down the stairs.

Relena reached the top without incident and shuffled to her bedroom at the end of the hall. Closing the door, she all but collapsed on top of the chenille bedspread. Air hissed from her lungs in a heaving sigh. Her eyelids drooped and she found she could no longer keep them open.

The faces of her murdered friends haunted her mind's eye as she drifted off into a fitful sleep. She suddenly remembered the voice beside her ear. What had it said? She couldn't remember and it frustrated her. But she'd recognized that voice and the implications of what that could possibly mean terrified her beyond comprehension.

It was her brother's voice...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! All the love!


	4. June 23rd, AC 206, 6:43am

Sally arrived at Earth Sphere Unified Nations Hospital, or _ESUNH_ , during the early morning hours of June 23rd. She passed through the security checks with ease. Her retinal and hand print scans admitting her into the building. She signed in at the main reception desk and headed to the elevator that would take her to the underground levels that operated as a morgue. It was also where the main artery of PFL, ( _Preventer's Forensics Laboratories)_ was located. 

The medical compound was a state-of-the art facility, about the size of a small city. They recruited the best of the best. Most of their doctors were war veterans and had extensive training in civilian hospitals, military hospitals, and in the fields of combat. Their large spectrum of medical professionals treated everything from minor colds and sprained ankles, to the most complex heart conditions and aggressive cancers. People from all over the world would travel to northern Europe to seek treatment for their various illnesses and injuries. Their cardiovascular and neuro surgeons had waiting lists that were sometimes years long. 

There was a large children's ward located at the front of the compound that specialized in every childhood ailment imaginable. They had the best physical therapy programs available. The best burn center. Their cancer treatments ranged from a steady ninety two to ninety seven percent survival rate. 

It was a highly secured facility due to the fact that most of Sanq's current and former aristocrats, as well as high profile ESUN politicians sought treatment at this hospital. Many even traveled as far as the colonies to be seen by ESUNH's doctors. Much of its funding had come from liquidated military compounds, armored trucks, tanks, and other militia vehicles, and the vast array of weapons from automatic rifles to missiles to mobile suits after the fall of OZ, White Fang, and The Romefeller Foundation.

Beneath the ground level, security was increased and only top ESUN officials were authorized. The underground levels housed a highly specialized forensics laboratory and a second morgue, separate from the hospital's main one. This morgue was reserved only for those of the highest status and priority, usually assassinated VIP's. The ramped up security was necessary in these cases. 

The lower levels were under the direct order and control of Preventer's which was subsidized by the ESUN. Any information that came out of those labs was reported to the director and commander of Preventer's, General Lady Une, who then reported any findings to the top ESUN officials. Typically, these cases were classified above Top Secret. 

Such was this particular case. Security had been so buttoned down that any unauthorized intruders who ventured too close to the crime scenes, or into the underground labs of ESUNH were to be shot on the spot. Gag orders had been implemented and were being enforced by Preventer's, ESUN's global officials, as well as all sovereign nations' local and federal law enforcement. 

Sally reached the lowest level of the facility and the doors swished open after another hand and retina scan. She walked down the long hallway where the morgue was located, her heart in her throat. Stopping outside the large double doors, she took a deep breath, and swiped her card. 

The doors to the morgue swung open and she stepped inside. The room was occupied not only by several medical examiners, but also by ESUN's surgeon general who would be supervising the autopsies along with her. The man's name was Heimlich Bensen, a neurosurgeon of German descent. She'd first met him after he became a prestigious member of the Romefeller Foundation and then went on to become the personal physician of OZ's highest commander, Treize Khushrenada. He was also rumored to be one of his top advisers. 

Bensen had faced a military tribunal after the fall of Libra, but was exonerated of all charges. 

Sally's eyes narrowed slightly. She'd never liked the man. He was slippery as an eel and his beady eyes shone with something she couldn't quite put her finger on. His presence made her extremely uncomfortable, especially when those beady eyes had shifted in her direction the moment the doors to the morgue opened. He nodded a greeting with a cordial, "Dr. Po." He was polite enough, but behind those eyes, strange things were going on and Sally got the sense that those things were most likely nefarious. Despite that, Dr. Bensen's record had been squeaky clean since his exoneration. Not a speck of dust to be seen. 

One would almost say it was _too_ clean. That in itself was enough to raise some eyebrows. 

But Sally was nothing if not professional. She nodded back tersely. Then she turned to take in the five steel gurneys lined up in a row. A body laid out on each one, covered with a sheet. Sally's heart dropped into her stomach. She had yet to see her friends' bodies in person. She took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. 

"Let's begin."

* * *

 

 _Two hours later..._  

A break was called. They had been at it nonstop and Sally needed to clear her head. She felt numb both inside and out. 

Yuy and Maxwell's autopsies were complete and they had just finished Barton's. Sixty percent done now. Their bodies were moved back into the wall mounted freezers until the transports arrived to deliver them to those who would oversee the funeral and burial process. Heero's body was going to Relena. Duo's to Hilde. Trowa's body would be delivered to his sister, Cathy, and Quatre's to his large family of sisters. Since Wufei had no next of kin and his romantic partner was MIA, ESUN would take care of his funeral costs and ceremony. Sally needed a few minutes away from all this death and grief. 

The grueling monotony of weighing and examining internal organs was draining. Every inch of the Gundam Pilots' bodies were looked over with a fine-toothed comb, checking for anything that might lead them to their killers. Their skin was dusted for hairs and fibers. Their fingernails were examined thoroughly and samples collected for DNA testing. Multiple blood samples were bottled up and also sent for testing. With crimes as physically brutal as these, there was a good chance that at least one perpetrator had come away injured. If so, the evidence would be written across their victims' skin.

She passed by Quatre's and Wufei's gurneys, still laid out awaiting their autopsies. She pressed her hand to a blond head, then to the one with black hair. She sighed sadly. So young. Only twenty six years old. They were taken far too soon. Choking on emotion, she fled the room to get a grip on herself. 

Once outside the doors, she pressed one hand to her abdomen and the other to her mouth. She swallowed down the bile that threatened to wreck havoc on her esophagus. She inhaled deeply and then blew the air out in a harsh breath. Dr. Bensen stepped out of the room a moment later and Sally had to reign back her repulsion again. The man gave her a greasy smile and she fought the urge to back away. He was a short, stout man with balding brown hair. He was partial to plaid shirts, sometimes in godawful color combinations. His belly stuck out between the flaps of his lab coat and hung over his low-slung khaki slacks which were held up by a brown, leather belt. He smelled like cheap cologne. 

"S'a tough one, isn't it?" He jerked his head in the direction of the morgue. His Berlin accent was thick, his voice grating. "I was told you were friends with them."

Sally nodded curtly, not interested in making small talk with this creep. "But you already knew that, didn't you? Are you being obtuse on purpose?" 

Bensen smiled though it didn't reach those shifty eyes. "I know you don't like me-"

"No shit."

"- But I think you should give me a chance. I'm not out to get you, or your friends. I'm here to do a job just like you are. I'm representing the Earth Sphere, just as you're representing the Preventer's. We should be working together as a team, not as adversaries."

Sally glanced at him. Her lip curled in a sneer. She leaned forward, hissing, "Let me get one thing straight with you. I don't trust you. I have _never_ trusted you, and I probably never will. It would take a _miracle_ to make me trust you, that's how much I _don't_ trust you." 

"Interesting that you would use the word "miracle". You just might be surprised." With that cryptic statement, Bensen turned on his heel and waddled to the doctors' lounge. Sally watched him a moment, suspicious. What the hell did that even _mean?_   She tutted. Weirdo. 

She headed down the hallway in the opposite direction towards a vending machine filled with cold drinks. Some sugar and caffeine would give her a little pick-me-up. As she walked, a weird sense of vertigo seemed to pass through her. For an instant, her head seemed to separate from her body and float, but the sensation was gone before she'd even registered it. Her equilibrium balanced itself out and she shook her head. That was strange. 

When it happened again just a few seconds later, the floor beneath her feet seemed to vibrate and the halogen lights overhead flickered. 

" _Now_ what?" 


	5. June 23rd, AC 206, 9:17am

" _Damn it!_ "

Une tore her glasses off her face and slammed them on the desk. She rubbed her temples in frustration.  _None_  of this made  _any_  sense!

She'd spent the last two and a half hours viewing video footage from the ESUN's global surveillance positioning satellites. She'd uplinked every satellite that was within range of the pilots' homes on the evening of June 21st. Not even the infrared had picked up anything, which was impossible. _Someone_  had broken into their homes and killed them and those someones _should_  have been visible. But there was nothing. Not a goddamned thing.

She could see the heat signatures of the pilots. She saw them milling around, doing whatever it was they did on any given Thursday evening. The human shaped blobs of red, orange, and yellow moved around their respective homes, working, watching television, taking a shower. She saw Barton leaving his place of employment. She watched his trek from the building to his car. She watched him drive along the same route he probably always did on his way home to his partner. At approximately 7:38:02 in the evening, she witnessed what was mostly likely the final video frame of the living pilots. The next frame read 7:38:03 pm and it showed the pilots in the positions they had been in when their bodies were found. Still and lifeless. Their heat signatures already begun to take on the cooler colors of yellow, green, and blue that registered lowering body temperatures.

There was no way in Hell an invisible force had swooped in, unseen, and killed them all in a fraction of a second. There was no way their bodies had cooled that much, that quickly. Yet the evidence was right there in front of her eyes. They had been killed simultaneously, across the board, in less than a second.

Even when multiple killers carried out a mass murder in different locations, it was never perfectly synced like this. Usually there were seconds, minutes, between one murder and the next. The footage showed a flawless, seamless crime. The pilots alive one moment and the next, dead. And  _where_  were the killers? Why hadn't they shown up in the footage?

Her mind briefly entertained the idea that they had killed each other, but immediately dismissed it. That was impossible, too. This was not the blueprint for murder-suicide. She'd have seen it on the video. Even if Yuy had strangled Maxwell, there was no way he could have slashed himself to death like that. And if Barton had killed Winner, it still didn't explain how he'd managed to bludgeon himself. It also didn't explain how Chang was killed.

Une's mind was racing in circles, chasing one preposterous thought after the other. She'd hoped reviewing the footage of the pilots on the night of the murders would give her some insight into what had happened, but it raised more questions than answers.

The only other viable option was that someone had hacked into the surveillance mainframe and sabotaged it. But who would have had that kind of access and capability? A name pushed its way into the front of her mind and a chill shot down her spine.

Even though he was not an  _official_  suspect, Zechs was at the top of her personal list. She did not believe he was dead and the fact that he was AWOL raised some monumental red flags. There were only a few people on an extremely short, select list besides Zechs who could have pulled something like this off. That list was basically limited to the Gundam Pilots, and Treize Khushrenada himself, and they were all deceased. There may have been a few others capable of this level of subversion, but Une didn't think it likely.

As much as she wanted to name the elusive former "Lightning Count" as a suspect, she could not at this point in time. The best she could do was declare him a Person of Interest. The physical evidence was just not there. Not yet. She needed something solid to bring to the ESUN high courts.

She tried a different tactic. Zechs was last seen near Geneva, Switzerland, outside a cafe. There were some reports that he had been conversing with a known arms dealer, but nothing conclusive. The arms dealer had been taken in for questioning and was under constant police watch. He had revealed nothing to law enforcement about any possible encounter and claimed he hadn't seen Merquise in six months and had no idea where he was. The arms dealer was since behaving himself and no contact between the two had occurred in the last few days.

Une skimmed through the phone records and online communications of the arms dealer, but found nothing beyond the typical discourse between him and his regulars. Petty stuff. Nothing she needed to concern herself with.

It seemed as if Merquise had been off the grid for several months. Interesting...

She almost didn't notice when a rumble reverberated throughout the building. It shook the very foundation of Preventers Headquarters and rattled the windows. Computers, files, and other desktop impedimenta were agitated from their places, the vibrations moving them around the flat surface. Picture frames jittered and fell off their nails. Une's head jerked up in surprise. She watched as her cup filled with pencils and pens trembled along the laminate surface of her desk. She caught it just before it teetered over the edge.

Suddenly, the entire building began to rock and sway. Concrete blocks seemed to loosen from the structure. Une hollered,  _"Get down!"_  Acting on instinct alone, she dove under her desk. She suppressed the urge to vomit as the floor beneath her swung violently to and fro. Various items toppled off of desks. Filing cabinets tipped over. The glass panes of the windows, unable to withstand the shifting burden of the concrete frames around them, popped and shattered. The lights overhead swung wildly and then flickered off, engulfing the building in darkness.

Une cursed as the sickening motion finally began to die down. The compound seemed to groan and give one last shudder, then it stopped altogether. Une crouched under her desk in the murky blackness and listened to the ominous silence. She strained her ears for any noises, whether it be cries for help, or sounds that might indicate the building was going to collapse.

She heard a cough, and a male voice call out, "Is everyone okay?" Une crawled out from under her desk and stood up, surveying the damage. She sighed, slightly relieved. Not too terrible. The building's infrastructure remained intact. She'd have to replace the windows. There was possibly some cosmetic damage that would need to be repaired, but nothing catastrophic as far as she could see. She bent down to gather the things that had fallen off her desk and placed them back on top. Her computer hadn't succumbed, thank goodness. She walked over to the filing cabinet that was laying on its side and righted it again. The drawers had come out and papers were scattered everywhere in a jumbled mess. Her assistant would get those reorganized for her.

The power was out and she muttered another curse. Figures. She ventured out of her office to check on her subordinates. She surveyed the large cubicled room with a critical eye. The other Preventers seemed fine. They were shaken, but there appeared to be no serious injuries beyond a few cuts and abrasions.

The floor was littered with broken glass, shards of metal and plastic, pens, pencils, and other assorted stationary items. The remnants of ESUN issued computers, printers, and other equipment lay in pieces across the commercial-grade carpeting. Her brain quickly calculated a preliminary figure of the cost of the damage. The expenditure would be a pretty penny, but nothing too dreadful.

Une quickly wrangled her haphazard group up, barking, "Everyone, _out!_ " She herded them outside for a headcount and established a triage for the injured. Inspectors would need to come out and made sure the compound was structurally sound before anyone was admitted back in. Sirens could be heard in the distance. The ambulances were on their way.

Une retrieved her phone and tried to contact Sally. Unsurprisingly, there was no signal. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to slam the damned thing down on the ground and stomp on it.

This week was shaping up to be a real doozy.

Twenty minutes later, Une was conversing with the building's maintenance team, trying to get a feel for the total damage estimate. It seemed the building was safe for reentry, but she wanted to confirm that before giving the green light. There was no discernible time frame to get the electricity working again as communications were down. No one's phone worked and they couldn't even establish a land line.

A shout off to her left caught Une's attention. Her assistant, Billings, ran up to her in a panic. She was bordering on hysterical. Her voice shook and she spoke so fast, Une had a little trouble understanding her. She held up a hand and told the woman to slow down.

Billings took a deep breath and let it out in a trembling exhale. She nodded and visibly attempted to collect herself.

"Sir, I was listening to the analog radio. There's chaos everywhere! It was an earthquake. A big one. Nine points, they're saying. Oh  _god!_ " The woman gasped and sniffled, her hand clutched her shirt over her breast. "The epicenter was right below Sanq. They're saying it's been completely destroyed!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eep. Sorry, I had to fix a couple timeline inconsistencies.


	6. June 23rd, AC 206, 9:28am

Relena coughed as she inhaled the dust and dirt that clouded the air. It was so thick, it was difficult to breathe. A broken piece of sheet rock laid over her in an upside down "V". She peered up through the crack and got a face full of dirty rain. She coughed again and wiggled her fingers, then her toes. Cautiously, she shifted each limb. Everything seemed to move okay and nothing seemed to hurt, so that was good. She stuck an arm up through the opening between the sheet rock and grasped a jagged edge with shaky fingers. Using it as leverage, she managed to get her legs under her and shimmy herself up through the crack. She sat on one edge of the wall and pulled her legs free. The continuous rain pelted her, washing the dirt and plaster off her skin in little rivulets. The villa was gone. 

She'd felt the rumble and without thinking, flown to the adjoining bathroom, dove into the tub, and screamed for Jillian to take cover. She'd curled into a ball and crossed her arms over her head. The upheaval shook the villa so hard, it rattled Relena's bones and clacked her teeth together painfully. The sounds of the house coming apart around her was deafening. The roar of crumbling walls and roof, the shattering of windows, and the cracking and splitting of wooden beams was so loud, it drowned out her terrified screams. Her stomach plummeted as the tub beneath her dropped to the first floor, her body following suit a split second later. 

The tub crashed onto the carpeted floor of her living room. Luckily, it was aluminum so it had not shattered. It bounced slightly, then rolled to the side. Relena turned her head and placed one arm in front of her face to protect it from the floor, the other still desperately tried to protect the back of her head from anything that might fall on top of her. She'd hit the floor with bone-jarring force, knocking the wind out of her. She curled up again and waited for certain death as the entire second and third stories fell down around her. 

It was either by luck, or divine intervention, that one particular wall fell in such a way that it had provided a shelter of sorts. The violent rocking and the screeching clamor of destruction seemed to last an entire lifetime, but in reality was less than a minute. For several precious seconds, she'd seen everything in slow motion, including her fall from the second floor. 

Once the earth-shattering tremors had stopped, she'd simply laid in her dark little sanctuary wondering if she was still alive and if so, did she want to come out. After a few seconds, the other-worldly sensations of a near-death experience began to wear off and her consciousness regained control. After a quick assessment, she was able to determine that yes, she was alive. The realization that she had apparently just survived a major earthquake because she was blanketed under a solid layer of sheet rock was too much to wrap her head around just yet. 

She'd peered up towards the top and determined there was just enough space for her to squeeze through. She only knew it was the top because she saw daylight. Her internal compass was off kilter and she'd had no idea which way was up, or down. 

She finally wedged her feet out of the tiny crevice and shakily got up. Very carefully, she stepped around the fallen remains of her villa. The dirt, dust, and plaster which had begun to mix with the rain, formed a sticky paste that clung to her skin. She wiped the clay-like substance out of her eyes and peered around. A sob erupted from her chest and clogged her throat.

There was nothing left. 

* * *

After fifteen minutes of frantic searching, she located the remains of her longtime servant and friend. Jillian had apparently been crushed by falling debris. Relena closed her sightless eyes and wiped away the blood that had bubbled up between the girl's lips with her sleeve. She knelt next to Jillian, held her limp hand and wept. She cried for the loss of another dear friend, feeling as though she was the only person left in the world. Her chest felt like an empty cavity, hollow and aching. The freezing rain drenched her, plastering her muddy hair to her scalp and she shivered from the cold. It mixed with the salty warmth of her tears and left scalding tracks down her cheeks. Relena hunched over the body of her friend, overcome with grief. She wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. 

Movement in her peripheral vision made her turn her head sharply, just in time to catch a glimpse of messy, dark brown hair and stunning blue eyes. She froze as the eyes pierced through her and then the figure darted behind a large oak tree. 

Not stopping to think about the impossibilities, Relena scrambled up on her feet and staggered towards the tree, the name of a dead friend written across her numb lips. She reached the tree and circled around it, looking for any sign of the man she'd just seen.

There was no one there. 

"Heero?" Relena whispered. " _Heero!_ "

She peered around the bend and spotted the figures of Duo and Quatre, standing on the precipice of the large hill that overlooked the entire kingdom of Sanq. They stood with their backs to her, looking down. She walked towards them, calling their names, asking why they were there. Their heads turned and they looked at her over their shoulders. As she approached them, they both disappeared over the threshold. A harsh cry forced its way out of her throat and she ran to the edge to peer down. 

There was no sign of her two friends, but what she did see made her rear backwards on her heels. Her knees buckled and she dropped like a stone. It seemed as though all the air had been pulled from her lungs. Her hand clamped over her mouth. Her mind screamed, begged her to negate what she was seeing. Her head shook back and forth in denial, but she knew it would do no good. It was real. It was all real.

Sanq, her beloved home was in complete ruins. Not one building stood among the kingdom-wide devastation. Everything had been destroyed. Homes and businesses, even historical landmarks and monuments looked like nothing more than piles of concrete powder and tinder wood. The beautiful architecture of the Sanq Museum, the tallest and most magnificent building in all of northern Europe, was gone. Random explosions rocked the city and fires burned from broken gas lines. Survivors, tiny from her standpoint, scrambled around, lost and terrified, looking desperately for their loved ones.

Again, her brother's voice whispered in her ear, clear as the sunniest day. The two words he had spoken earlier that morning during her vision came back to her, _oh God that was a lifetime ago_. They buzzed through her head like a million angry bees. 

A breeze brushed against her face and she raised her eyes out past the sandy beaches of Sanq's picturesque shoreline, out towards the horizon. A giant tidal wave loomed about three miles out and was closing in quickly. 

Panicking, Relena shouted over the edge of the cliff. She screamed at the villagers to take cover, seek higher ground. She screamed until her voice gave out and blood coated her throat from broken capillaries. Her hands scrabbled for rocks and she absently threw them in a desperate, but useless attempt to get them to _look_. She screamed and screamed until the wave had reached the shore. The villagers, unable to hear her, never noticed the danger until it was too late. 

In a roar of salt water, Sanq was washed away. The top of the wave struck a couple hundred feet below the cliff Relena was kneeling on. The force pushed a strong gush of air against her face and blew saltwater into her eyes. She squinted against it, still trying to scream, though there was nothing and no one left to warn. 

And still she screamed. She screamed for the horror she had just witnessed. She screamed for the millions of lives that had just vanished in the blink of an eye. She screamed for the hopeless frailty of human life. She screamed for her friends. She screamed for everyone and everything that had ever felt the agony of powerlessness and the paralyzing grief of loss.

Relena collapsed onto the wet grass. Her mind, too overcome with shock and desolation, began to shut down. She rolled onto her side and gazed off into the distance. The bellowing waves faded into the background. Her eyes once again caught the five figures standing together, not twenty feet away, watching her with a placidity she couldn't comprehend. Her brother's voice, a final time, whispered into her ear. This time, her mind translated it before succumbing to darkness.

_Sensus Divinitatus. Sensing God..._


	7. June 23rd, AC 206, 9:34am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains graphic violence. If you don't think you have the stomach for that kind of thing, please go back now. 
> 
> This story is going to get real bizarre starting now, so heads up!

 

 

 

The titanium structure had been the only thing holding ESUNH up when the earthquake hit. Though earthquakes were not known for hitting this particular region of Europe, the complex had been built to withstand any kind of impact. It was peacetime, but that hadn't stopped the head of ESUN, Milton Cambridge, from building a facility that could hold up against any natural, or man-made disasters.

Sally stood on a grassy knoll outside the hospital, her eyes skimming over the building. It looked as though the damage was minimal. The patients and staff had been well-protected and most of the injuries were minor. When the power went out, the emergency generators kicked on, keeping crucial life support equipment running.

Sally pulled her phone out and checked for a signal. Nothing. She had to find a way to get in touch with Une. Hopefully, headquarters was still standing and her colleagues were okay. Her ears piqued as nervous chatter began to rise among the people gathered outside and shock rippled through the crowd as reports of Sanq's destruction began to spread. Sally's heart thudded against her rib cage, hearing the words _no survivors._  There were accounts that the earthquake had flattened the city and then a subsequent tsunami had washed what little was left out to sea. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, little bolts of electricity like miniature shock waves pulsed with every beat of her heart. Oh,  _shit._  Relena was there. Sally had just spoken to her early that morning. 

She'd been in the underground levels when the quake hit. Driven by instinct, she'd ducked under a flight of steel stairs with other staff members to wait it out, not sure if they would survive, or be crushed under thousands of tons of metal. Bensen had been under the stairs with her. He'd seemed oddly calm and he watched her with an unreadable expression as the building shook and swayed above them. Once the rumbling had ceased, they carefully climbed the stairs to the outside.

The bystanders were now displaying various stages of shock and grief. People were screaming, crying, falling to their knees. Many were too stunned to react. Many had family in Sanq. Sally fought down a wave of nausea, also in shock. The voices around her became a distant echo, her vision tunneled and blurred around the edges, zeroing in on the grass under her feet. Her mind's need for self-preservation taking over. 

"It's a real shame." Bensen said, suddenly beside her. Sally jolted, reality swinging her back to awareness. She almost hadn't heard him. He didn't seem too torn up about it. 

It took a few attempts to clear the cobwebs out of her throat before she could respond. "There wasn't much love lost between you and Sanq anyway, was there?" She croaked, disgusted.

Bensen shrugged, unperturbed. ”Que sera sera.”

Sally wanted to ignore him, but his earlier comment was nagging in her head, going round and round in circles. It meant something and though she didn't  _want_  to know, she needed to. A voice deep inside whispering, _You need to know. Something is very wrong here._

She eyed him. “What did you mean about miracles?”

“Hm?”

“Miracles. What you said about miracles and how I just might be surprised. What did you mean by that?”

His doll-like eyes were shiny. His tongue peeked out between cracked lips, swiping across them. He seemed excited and that didn't sit right with Sally. “Do you believe in miracles, Dr. Po?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I’m a scientist, Dr. Bensen. I believe what I can see with my own eyes.”

“So you don’t believe in God?”

She sighed, attempting to appear nonchalant. “Why are we having this conversation?”

“What about the Devil?”

Sally glared and then looked away, clicking her tongue across the roof of her mouth. “Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“Am I?”

“And obtuse. Again. With all due respect, Dr. Bensen, I’m really not in the mood for games.”

“No games, Dr. Po. I’m just curious what you believe.”

“Why?”

Bensen's shoulder lifted in a casual shrug, but his eyes looked hungry. “Because you’re an exceptionally intelligent woman and I'd reckon a rather tough nut to crack.”

She took a step back. “Are you hitting on me?”

Bensen threw his head back and laughed, sounding genuinely merry. Sally looked around nervously, slightly mortified. “Oh goodness, no, Dr. Po. I just want to know what makes my enemies tick.” The gleam in his eyes seemed to shimmer and ignite. 

“I thought you said we weren’t enemies.”

Bensen's demeanor took a sudden one eighty. The mirth dropped like a lead weight. His lip curled over his teeth, hissing out a snarl. It was quiet, but the sound seemed to bounce off the walls of her skull and make her brain hurt. He stepped closer. Sally shook her head as the world around her seemed to narrow and disappear, as if sucked into a vaccum. The cries of pain and sorrow faded and in its place, a deafening tinnitus. She shook her head again, harshly, trying to jar her senses, rubbing her fingers over her ears. She found herself standing in a dark void. The people gone, the hospital gone. Everything, gone. 

_The fuck?_

Bensen was suddenly right in front of her face. His skin was so ghastly pale, it appeared gray, wrinkles dramatically prominent, and shiny with moisture. His eyes seemed alight with a yellowish, green fire, pupils no longer visible, the lids around them dissolving. His lips vanished as his mouth turned up in a mockery of a grin. Three rows of pointy, razor-sharp teeth glinted in a nonexistent light.

When he spoke again, the two top rows of teeth lifted up in an upside down crescent. A forked tongue slithered out, black like cancer, pinging off a barbed canine. 

Bensen's voice took on a frightening timbre, his vocal cords seemed to expand and develop new chambers. It vibrated past his maw in an eerie tri-tone of tenor, baritone, and base. “Oh, we are, Dr. Po. We most definitely are. You and your fellow  _humans_  have no idea what you’re up against. This is far far bigger than your puny little minds could ever conceive.”

Sally was frozen. Terror kept her limbs immobile. Her chest felt encased in ice. It was cold.  _She_  was cold. “Who are you?”

“I’m everything and I am nothing.  I’m every nightmare and terrible thing that’s ever happened to you. I am the void, the emptiness you fear, deep within your pathetic, mortal hearts. I will put you at the top of the world. I will fulfill your every desire. And then I will pull you down into the abyss and leave you with nothing but yourself. And I will do it, just to hear you scream. I will feed off your terror like the finest _vino_  and I'll keep coming back until there's nothing left but your broken little shell."

Sally tried to swallow, but couldn't. Her mouth was burning and parched. A fleeting thought whispered across her mind. “Did you kill my friends? The pilots?”

Eyelids that she'd thought dissipated slowly lowered beneath folds of waxy skin. “Why don’t you see for yourself.”

A gnarled hand reached out, lightning quick, clawed fingers grasping Sally’s forearm with inhuman strength and her bones creaked under the pressure. The skin was icy cold, seeping through her clothing. Electricity sparked at the point of contact and Sally's vision tilted violently and shifted. Glimpses of darkened windows and a linoleum floor flashed behind her eyes. A stove. A teapot. A hand reaching for a mug. The sound of a door closing echoed in her ears.

“Duo, do you want some of this tea?” Sally immediately recognized the nasally voice as being Heero’s. She watched, frozen and helpless, voiceless, as a dark figure appeared, faceless, formless. Only a vague shape with arms and legs. At the end of one arm was a long blade. She had no time to react as the blade rose into the air, the beginning of an exclamation on the Japanese man's lips, then there was a  _whoosh_  as the blade came down, time and time again, so quickly, it was over almost before it began.

She watched as the mug fell to the floor and shattered, tea splashing. Blood quickly joined it, spilling in abundance and Sally's legs gave out. She hit the tiled floor, shock rendering her paralyzed. More blinding flashes, and there was a living room. A brown suede sofa, wood floors, a red rug, and a man with long hair, tied back in a braid. She saw another figure, vague as the first, somewhat translucent. A long chain, wrapped around Duo's throat. His hands scrabbled desperately, finding no purchase. Legs kicked and spasmed. As the life drained from his blue eyes, they shifted in Sally's direction and recognition seemed to flicker across them before they rolled towards the ceiling, his body collapsing as death took hold. Sally couldn't breathe. Had Duo  _seen_  her?

In the moments that followed, mercurial sequences that simultaneously seemed as if time had stopped, she was forced to witness the deaths of the other three pilots. 

There was a bedroom, a bed. Soft, blond hair stuck out over the top of the covers in curly tufts. The bedding was lowered by unseen hands and Quatre rolled over sleepily. A third shadow, or was it the same one, standing over him. A long knife in its undefined hand, coming down in rapid succession. Sally watched, overcome with horror, as the blade sunk into the blond's chest, his abdomen. She could see the blood splatter the headboard behind him and spray the walls. She watched, her useless hands clenched, as he choked, his airway filling with blood and his desperate fight to breathe as he began to suffocate. She shut her eyes in a futile attempt to block out the gurgling sounds, trying to pull her mind away. To escape, but she seemed hopelessly trapped. 

Bensen, or the inhuman creature he was, gripped her numb skin harder. He knew she was trying to retreat. Her bones rubbed together painfully, on the verge of snapping. 

Tears streaked down her face, dripping from her chin.  _No._   _Please. No more!_

But Bensen was determined that she see this through to the end. He hissed in her face, the sibilation snakelike, his tongue brushed against her skin, scalding hot, dry, and scratchy. More strobing and then another living room. A long green runner on the floor and a tall brown haired man. Unease written across his face, as if he knew something was wrong. Sally screamed at him, told him to leave, get out.  _Run!_ But Trowa couldn't hear her. A long metal pipe lifted behind his head and came down with a speed and force that no human could ever match. Over and over again, even when Trowa had stopped moving. There was a sickening  _crunch_ , loud in the otherwise silent house, and Sally bent at the waist and vomited. 

A final flash and a hallway, walls of white and a tile floor. Photos and artifacts lined the walls. Images of a long dead Chinese family and replicas of ancient weaponry. A man with black hair, the tight ponytail gone. It fell loosely around his shoulders, the texture similar to silk. Swords were lifted from their mounts by opaque, fingerless hands. Wufei's sharp cry bounced off the walls and then the distinct _shiiink_  sound of steel hitting home. Wufei was driven against the wall with so much force, the picture frames and  _katanas_  rattled and shook, then clattered to the floor, glass shards flying in every direction. Two blades were thrust through the Chinese man's shoulders, effectively pinning him to the wall. Wufei screamed in pain as two more blades were raised and aimed towards his legs. Two more and his torso was impaled. He coughed, blood dripping from his mouth, his hair in his face. He raised his chin in defiance, prepared to die with honor as the final blade was pointed at his head, and thrust in. 

Sally choked, her body convulsing, eyes rolling back as she seemed to float in the darkness and then fall, finally landing hard on a solid surface. The world as she knew it suddenly crashed back around her like a wave, knocking her onto her back. The crushing grip was gone and instead faces hovered over hers wearing diverse expressions of concern and fear. Lips moved, asking if she was okay and sound gradually came back, voices loud and disorienting.

She felt the grass beneath her back and the cool air on her skin and she took a breath, finally able to breathe again. Her eyes frantically darted around for Bensen, but she couldn't see him anywhere. Instead, good samaritans fussed over her,  _lie down, be still, help is on the way_.

Her brain, overwhelmed with shock, began to shut down. Her thoughts beginning to slip together nonsensically. A final realization, faint, but relevant, reminded her that she was outside a hospital. 

Her head dropped back down to the grass as Sally lost consciousness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that was brutal, but necessary for the story. This was an extremely difficult and grueling chapter to write. It has left me emotionally drained.  
> If you're still with me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! *Hugs and cookies*
> 
> Also, I don't know how many of you are familiar with the phenomenon known as "shadow people", but it's where I've derived my idea for the "dark creatures" in this story. I had my own experiences with "shadow people" as a child, though it was probably nothing more that dream-induced hallucinations.


	8. June 23rd, AC 206, 9:56am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Une is a bamf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nonviolent chapter, woo hoo! Go me!

Une watched with a critical eye as the maintenance personnel hooked the solar generators into the building's central power system. In a few minutes, electricity would be restored and Une could connect with the orbiting satellites and get back online. She checked her phone again. A signal, weak, but enough. She dialed Sally. It rang four times and then went to voicemail.  _Goddamnit._

The generators hummed to life and Une pocketed her phone. Nodding to the mechanics, she turned on her heel and headed back to the main office. Billings was hunched over in a chair by the door, weeping. The rest of the attended Preventers were milling around doing much the same. Desk phones were ringing off the hook and Une stood in the center of the room. Her posture was one of zero bullshit. This was not the time for theatrics.

"Alright, people. Pull yourselves together. We have work to do. Get these phones answered. Yates, Miller, and Takashi, I want you to contact the ESUN Departments of Heath and Humanitarian Affairs, the OSO, and Meteorological Agency. Get any and all information you can on what is going on and I want debriefings no later than thirty minutes from right now. Let's organize a search and rescue operation to find any survivors. Billings, walk it off. I need you to contact the ESMO to coordinate a press conference, and I don't want you blubbering over the phone. I don't want anything slipping to the media until we have our shit together."

"What about Sanq, Sir?"

"Contact Parliament. If you get nothing, try again, and if you still get nothing, try again. Keep trying. I don't care what the reports say right now. There could be survivors. I want search and rescue teams out there, pronto. I want everyone in my office for an update in thirty. That's 10:27, and you  _better_  have something for me. Now, _move!_  Billings, in my office."

Billings stood with some difficulty and followed Une into her office, while the rest of the staff scurried to their desks.

Une walked behind her desk and sat down. She gestured for Billings to sit across from her and then folded her hands over her blotter. Billings shakily lowered her ample bottom into the chair, looking imploringly at Une. Her face was blotchy and her eyes bloodshot from crying. Une leaned forward.

"You don't tell those vultures over at ESMO  _anything_ , you understand? You tell them they can wait until the press conference later this morning. I want  _nothing_  getting out until we have full control over this mess. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Now go clean yourself up, powder your nose, whatever you gotta do. I don't care. I want you calm and collected when you talk to these people. They will latch onto the smallest hitch in your breath and exploit the shit out of it.  _We_  are in control, understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Fine. Go. I want you back here in thirty minutes." Une waved her hand in a shooing motion and Billings nodded, sniffling, and walked out of the room.

Une watched her go, sighing. She reached up and scratched at an itch on her head, right next to her hair bun. She pulled her vid phone in front of her and clicked it on. The power surge had knocked out the circuit breakers. She waited impatiently for it to boot up, then she logged in, and pulled up her contacts. She clicked on the listing that said  _Cambridge_  and waited for the head of ESUN to pick up.

After about ten seconds, the screen flashed on and she was greeted by a white haired man with a handlebar mustache. He looked wrung out and stressed. Une imagined she looked much the same.

"General Une. I assume your people are well?"

"Yes, quite well, Prime Minister, thank you. And you?"

"As well as can be expected. What do you have for me?"

"Nothing much. Yet. We just restored the power and our systems are just now coming back online. We're in touch with your departments at the moment. A search and rescue team is being organized. We also need to schedule a press conference. Do you have anything for me?"

Cambridge shook his head. "This is looking more like a recovery effort and there doesn't appear to be much to recover either."

"Is it that bad?"

Cambridge sighed, the sound whistling past his lips. "Yes. Sanq is gone, I'm afraid. I'd be hard-pressed to think any member of Parliament survived. What the quake didn't destroy, the tsunami took care of. Preliminary colony reports say their satellite probes recorded a wave as high as twelve meters."

" _Jesus!_ "

"Do you have anything regarding the Gundam Pilots' case?"

"No. Dr. Po was there overseeing the autopsies. I haven't been able to get in touch with her. I'd be willing to bet the hospital survived, but I don't know."

"Oh, it did. ESUNH is the strongest building in the world. It's fine, so I'm sure Dr. Po is also."

"You're probably right. She may be busy helping the injured, or could be having signal problems herself."

"Phone towers are down all over the place, so signals will probably be coming and going for a while. At least until we can uplink the wireless servers to the telecommunications satellites. Let's get the press conference scheduled. How soon can you be here?"

"Give me an hour."

Cambridge nodded tiredly. "We might as well release the information about the murders while we're at it. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. We'll keep it short and simple. They were murdered, suspects on the loose, manhunt underway. How's that going, by the way?"

Une tutted. "Not good. I got some strange findings when I looked over the global surveillance footage."

"Such as?"

"I'm...not sure. There were glitches, or something. Possible tampering, but it made no sense and it didn't reveal anything useful."

"Sent me the footage."

"Will do. Send me what you have on the quake. I'll call you back after I meet with my staff, and before I leave."

"Sounds good, General. We'll have a meeting prior to the conference. Get this whole thing sorted. Oh, in all this chaos, I almost forgot. We now have six murders on our hands."

" _Six?_  Who?"

"Mariemaia Khushrenada. They found her early this morning. Decomposition indicates that the time of death was between seven and nine on the night of June twenty first."

Une's eyes widened. No way was this a coincidence. "How?"

"Ice pick. Weapon was laid out beside the body, in plain sight. Same MO."

Une sat back in her chair, stunned.  _What the hell is going on?_

"I'll expect your call in about forty minutes?"

"Yes. Talk to you then. Thanks, Prime Minister."

"See you soon, General."

* * *

Billings came bustling in at approximately 10:15 in a mild panic.

" _Sir!_  They know who the Gundam Pilots were - are, and they know what happened!"

" _Who_  knows?"

Billings panted, out of breath. "The - the  _press!_  I spoke to the director of Media Affairs. Sillian said someone anonymously leaked the information!"

"Son of a...what else did she say?" Une demanded, hands on her hips.

"She said they're going to release the information to the public. They're going to expose their identities."

"They  _can't!_  We have gag orders in place!"

"Sillian said they don't care about that. That this is way too big not to be released and that if they don't do it, someone else will. She said we can take legal action if we have to, but the release is going out in the next circulation."

Une picked up a paper weight from her desk and threw it against the wall, leaving a nice dent behind. "Get that bitch on the phone!"

The heavyset woman scrambled around the desk and pulled up Andrea Sillian's contact information on Une's vid phone. It rang twice before Sillian's face appeared on the screen.

"Top of the morning to you, General!" The ESMO director had a prominent Irish accent. She peered at Une's angry face through the phone screen. "I gather your assistant broke the news to you?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"My job, General."

"Where did you get this information?"

"Our source is anonymous. It came from an encrypted channel. We've been unable to decode the signal."

"Send it to me. And do not, I repeat,  _do not_ , publish your findings."

"With all due respect, General -"

"Did I stutter? I said  _no._  We have a press conference scheduled this morning and we will inform the public of what we know then, and  _only_  then. And you will write  _only_  what we tell you to write in your press release. Remember, Sillian, you answer to Prime Minister Cambridge, and so help me, if you defy these gag orders, you will not only lose your illustrious career in journalism, but you will find yourself in prison. For a long time."

"General, I would just like to -"

"I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, Madame, and I'm certainly not going to start with the likes of  _you._ "

Sillian glared at Une, the resentment palpable. It was no secret that these two women despised each other.

"You will report what we tell you to report. No if's, and's, or but's. Your job is not to expose top secret information. Your job is to be the mouth piece of the Earth Sphere Unified Nations and I will hold you accountable if you deviate even one step off that path. Are we clear?"

"Yes, General."

"Good. I'll expect to see you at ESUN's headquarters no later than eleven hundred hours. Send me those files, asap."

"Yes, General. Sending them now."

Une reached over and disconnected the call. She sat down behind her desk and booted up her computer. After a few moments, there was a beep signalling the files had arrived. She opened them and scanned the codes. They were so scrambled, they were virtually unreadable. The only thing decipherable was the message itself, which was cut and dry. It simply named the Gundam Pilots and there was a brief synopsis of each of their murders. An attachment was pinned to each name with one photo per pilot. There was a sixth file with a similar description of the death of Mariemaia Khushrenada.

The real mind fuck was the fact that the files were dated June 19th. Two days  _before_  the murders. Une stared at her screen, stunned.

"Son of a  _bitch!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The OSO stands for Outer Space Organization, and ESMO is the acronym for Earth Sphere Media Organization, both are branches of the ESUN.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	9. June 23rd, AC 206, 10:58am

Relena trudged through the saturated forest, exhaustion pulling at her limbs. A thick mist had settled over the landscape making it difficult for her to determine which way she was going. The temptation to just throw in the towel and give herself over to the elements was getting stronger with every wavering step. Only a tiny flame of self-preservation that refused to go out, kept her going. 

She'd passed about a dozen homes in her wanderings. Every single one met the same fate as her own, reduced to a pile of rubble in the quake. She stopped at each one in the hopes she'd find a survivor. She'd called out, straining her ears for a cry, a shout, a whimper, but was met with only silence. 

Now, lost in the woods, she was cold, damp, and hungry, but still she kept moving. She needed to find shelter before nightfall. Though it was June, the temps were lower than normal and since she was also soaked to the bone, exposure was a big risk. 

The rain had died down somewhat, but the air was wet and misty. She was assaulted with tiny droplets of moisture, preventing her wet skin, clothes, and hair from drying. The sky was heavy with thick, dark clouds that moved rapidly across her line of sight whenever she looked up, blinking against the little pinpricks of water.

She had no idea what time it was and with the dark skies, she couldn't even begin to guess. It seemed almost sundown, but somewhere deep inside, her internal clock was telling her it was only late morning. Though it felt as if she'd been walking for days, weeks. 

The chilly wetness moved quickly into her chest with each breath she took and a raw feeling began to develop and spread. An irritated tickle in her throat made her cough, probably from inhaling all the dust and plaster when her house collapsed. She hacked up a rather nasty glob of mucus and spat it to the side as she stumbled along the uneven ground. Not very ladylike, but Relena was beyond such trivial matters. Now, she could probably add pneumonia to her list of bad fortune.

Another spasm seized her lungs and she bent at the waist and coughed again, the sound rattling through her body and bouncing off the trees. She leaned against a nearby birch to rest. She was so tired. Without even realizing it, she'd slid down the length of the trunk until her backside hit the ground. Her dirty legs were splayed out before her, her arms hung limply by her sides. Before she knew it, her head lolled and she dozed. 

A short time later, she jerked awake suddenly, not sure what had jarred her. She looked around, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Just a dense, dark forest. The fog had thickened and it was getting hard to see past twenty, or thirty feet in any direction. Relena was overwhelmed with panic. She was going to die out here. Alone. She wanted to run for safety, but everything looked the same as far as the eye could see and right now, that wasn't very far. The bleak landscape was cold and unforgiving and she'd never felt more out of place and desolate in her entire life. Maybe she  _was_  the only person left in the world. 

But that was ludicrous. There were thirteen billion people on the Earth. No, this was a disaster. A terrible, horrible natural disaster, but the world was still here. And if the world was still here, then people, people just like her, were still here. She just had to get out of this gloomy labyrinth and find them.

Relena looked down at her motionless legs.  _Alright, move. C'mon, let's get up and find some help_. But her limbs apparently weren't on board. They gave a pathetic twitch and she glared at them, annoyed.  _Come on, Relena. Get your ass up and find some help or you are going to die out here all by yourself. Do you want that? No, so let's give it another try!_

This time it worked and she bent her knees, getting her feet under her. She used the tree trunk for support and pulled herself up. She coughed again and stepped forward, using the next tree to help her along. She limped along this way until she felt strong enough to walk on her own. 

She wandered directionless for a while, not knowing if she was walking in circles. She stopped to rest against a large oak, or elm every now and then, her coughs echoed through the forest. The atmosphere reminded her of the ghost stories she and her friends used to tell each other as kids. 

Another coughing fit wracked her frame and she paused to gather her bearings. She ached all the way down to her bones. Closing her eyes, Relena lifted her face to the sky. The tiny pinpoints of rain stinging her skin helped alert her sluggish senses. A thought crossed her mind and she felt ridiculous even considering it. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Steeling herself and feeling rather silly, she coughed to clear her lungs and called out.

" _Heero!_  Hee - guys? Are you there?"

Relena waited. Silence. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Heero! Duo! Quatre? Can you hear me? Are you here with me?" Still nothing. 

"Damn it. Thanks for being there when I actually need you." She muttered, ticked off now. She carefully stepped over piles of sticks and branches, almost losing her footing. Behind her, a loud  _crack_  echoed off the tree trunks. Relena stopped and whipped around, her eyes squinting, looking for the elusive forms of the deceased pilots. She saw nothing. 

"Guys! Could you help me please? I'm lost!" She paused. More silence. Then another snapping sound ricocheted off her right ear and she turned towards the sound. She peered through the fog into the endless rows of trees.  _There!_  She saw him. He was fuzzy, but he was there. 

"Heero! I need your help, please! I'm lost and I can't find my way!" Heero stared at her for a moment, then his head turned to the right. Relena followed his line of sight and spotted Quatre, standing not thirty feet away. The blond spirit watched her for a few seconds, then turned and walked away.

"Wait! Please! Don't leave!" 

Quatre paused and turned, looking at her over his shoulder. His arm lifted in a  _follow me_  gesture, then he turned back around and began walking again. Relena glanced at Heero. He was still there and pointing in the direction Quatre was walking. Relena nodded and started jogging after the blond. 

Strangely, he disappeared by the time she caught up to him, but looking ahead, she now saw Duo standing in the distance. He made the same gesture and continued on. One by one, the pilots appeared and disappeared and Relena felt like she was playing some twisted ghost version of Whack-a-Mole. But they were leading her somewhere and she trusted them. They had been her best friends. 

She followed them through the woods, probably another two, or three miles until the pilot she was currently following, Trowa, stopped suddenly. He turned back to her and pointed. Relena's eyes tracked the line of his blurry finger and spotted a dim light, almost like firelight, deep within the trees. Was someone back there? Was there a house?

She glanced back at Trowa, but he'd disappeared along with the other four. She was alone again. The boys had been odd at the best of times when they were alive. They were even weirder now that they were dead. Shaking her head, she walked towards the light in the hopes that she would finally find some help. 

A few hundred feet up, there was a cottage situated among a small clearing, surrounded by weeping willows. A small hand-made picket fence curved around from a lush looking shade garden to the back of the house. The windows were lit with candles and a warm glow emanated from inside. Relena's bones ached with how cozy it looked and the thought of a warm bath, dry clothes, and hot food made her whimper.

Too desperate to care if the person who lived there was a homicidal maniac, she stepped around to the wooden front door and knocked. "Hello? Is anyone home? I don't mean you any harm. I'm - I'm lost and I need help. Please?" 

Silence, and then the unmistakable sound of shuffling feet approached the door. It cracked open and a dark eye peered out. Relena smiled politely, trying to seem as nonthreatening as possible which really wasn't a feat. She raised her hand and waved in greeting. 

"Hi. I'm sorry to bother you. My name is Relena. My house collapsed in the earthquake and I've been walking in the woods all day looking for help. I got -" She coughed so hard it vibrated in her chest painfully. "I got lost. You're the first house I found that's still standing. Could you help me please?" 

"Are you alone, or are there others with you?" The voice was definitely male and the visible eye darted around for any sign of others hiding nearby. 

Relena shook her head. "No, it's just me. You're the first person I found alive since the quake." She coughed again. 

The eye narrowed, studying her, looking for what, Relena couldn't tell. He must have decided she was safe enough because the door swung open a moment later, revealing a rather short, petite man with dark hair and olive skin. "That cough doesn't sound good. Come in, come in. Let's get you out of the rain." The man moved aside to make room for Relena to step inside. The entryway was narrow, but she could already feel the heat from inside the cottage and her knees almost gave out in relief. 

The man caught her before she could drop. "Whoa! You alright there? Here, sit. Rest for a bit. Then you can clean up and get into something dry. I live alone so I don't have any women's clothing, I'm afraid."

Relena shook her head, coughing. "I could wear a potato sack and be a happy camper right now. Thank you, sir." 

"Name's Ginetti. Albert Ginetti. Pleased to make your acquaintance. What did you say your name was?"

"Relena. Peacecraft." She watched Ginetti for a reaction. 

Predictably, his eyes widened. "Peacecraft! Well, I must say, I wasn't expecting company of such nobility. Forgive my modest dwelling, it's a bit of a mess."

Relena waved her hand. "Please, no need to fuss! We are just two people of equal footing, nothing more, nothing less. And your home is absolutely beautiful!" 

Ginetti blushed. "Well, thank you. It's pretty self suff -" He was interrupted as Relena began coughing violently. She leaned forward holding onto a small table for support as her lungs spasmed. "Okay. We need to do something about this cough. First things first, let's get you warm and dry." 

He helped her to her feet and led her to a small bathroom. There was a deep tub in the corner and Relena almost cried at the prospect of a hot bath. 

"Here. Take all the time you need. Towels are over here." Ginetti opened the door of a small cabinet revealing a stack of fluffy towels. "I'll leave some warm clothes outside the door. It locks, so you don't have to worry about me barging in. Come out when you're ready and I'll fix you up some soup and tea with herbs for that cough. I grow all my own herbs, lots of medicinal properties they have."

"Thank you, Mr. Ginetti. You are a life-saver!"

"Friends call me Albert. I'd be honored to consider you among them." Ginetti bowed slightly and closed the door behind him. 

Relena let out a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, a small smile on her face. She knew her friends wouldn't let her down. 

"Thanks, guys. I owe you one."

 


	10. June 23rd, AC 206, 11:46am

Sally came to awareness and a distinct disinfectant odor wafted across her nose. Without opening her eyes, she quickly concluded that she was in a hospital. The smell was a dead giveaway. The feel of an uncomfortably hard and thin mattress pressed against her back, and her vestibular system told her she was lying down. The strong bleached scent of the sheets made the inside of her nose sting. 

She was disoriented and it took her several minutes to remember what happened and why she was where she was now. Bits and pieces of an unearthly creature flitted across her mind like a rapidly moving slideshow. Its face garish, malevolent. Flashes of pointy teeth and shiny eyes that glowed a sickly yellow-green, like a fading bruise, bobbed beneath her closed eyes and her confused mind tried to rationalize the images. Was it a dream she'd had? 

Suddenly, like a sledgehammer barreling into the side of her head, scenes of horrific murders flared in her mind's eye and reality descended with instant clarity. She abruptly sat up, fully awake, cognizant now of what transpired a short time ago.

Her eyes flew open, so wide they bulged painfully in her sockets. A name, buried deep within her chest, broke free past her lips in a harsh cry.

" _Bensen!"_

Sally looked around frantically, expecting the nefarious doctor to be lurking nearby, ready to strike. Instead, she was met with only a typical sterile-looking hospital room and its cluster of medical equipment and monitors.

Her hands fumbled clumsily with the bedding, pushing it off her lap. Her legs protested weakly as she swung them over the side of the bed. She felt the drop in her blood pressure as she got to her feet and she leaned back against the bed, on the verge of fainting. She recognized her symptoms immediately. A sedative. Some sort of barbiturate. Ativan, most likely.

She struggled against the light-headedness and wobbled over to the chair that sat a few feet away. A clear, plastic bag with her clothes and belongings rested on the seat. The line in the back of her hand pulled, dragging the IV stand a few inches until the wheels caught on some cords strewn about the floor. It tipped over, spilling the bags of saline that were hooked to it. Cool air touched her backside from the opening in her gown. The pulse ox monitor clamped around her finger slipped off and dropped to the bed. 

Several nurses wearing a multitude of different colored scrubs and a doctor in a white lab coat rushed in to calm her and get her back into the bed. She fought them weakly, but in the end, they overpowered her, grasping flailing limbs and easing her back down. Words of comfort and reassurance reached her ears, but did nothing to settle her nerves. 

Sally finally gave in and laid back down, though her muscles remained tense, ready to spring into action if the need arose. 

"Just calm down, Dr. Po. Everything is okay. You need to rest. You had some sort of episode. We gave you a mild sedative and we ran some tests -"

"Where is he? Where's Bensen?" 

"Dr. Bensen? He left. Said he had to get back to ESUN Headquarters to report to Prime Minister Cambridge. He said -"

But Sally was scrambling to get out of the bed again. "I have to warn them! He's not what he seems! He's - he's..." She was at a loss for words. "I have to talk to Cambridge, and General Une right away." 

The doctor, Mendoza, his name tag said, shook his head, pressing his hands down on her shoulders. She reluctantly sat down on the edge of the mattress. "You will. We're reestablishing the phone lines and they should be up and running any time now. You can call whoever you need to in a few minutes. I need you to calm down, though, okay? Something happened to you and we're not sure what. Witnesses said it looked like some sort of seizure." The doctor paused, then asked, "What were you saying about Dr. Bensen?"

Sally opened her mouth, then closed it. She stared at him, unsure if she should answer that. Her logical mind was finally beginning to take precedent over her impulsive side and it would behoove her now if she were to start spouting off some half-cocked tale about demonic creatures disguised as doctors. 

She shook her head and smiled, trying to appear dismissive. "Never mind. I must have been having some crazy dream. I guess the sedative confused me for a few moments. I feel better now. Clearer."

"Okay, good. Sorry about sedating you, but we didn't have much choice."

"It's okay. I probably would have done the same. You said the phones should be working soon?"

"Yes, the land lines. Cell phone signals are unreliable at the moment and they don't work inside the building anyway." 

"Alright. Let me know as soon as possible. I need to make some urgent calls. I'll rest here, but I want to get dressed now. I'm feeling much better."

Mendoza looked dubious. "Are you sure, Doctor? We still don't have the test re -"

"I'm quite sure, thank you. I just want to get my clothes back on. I'll wait here until you come back, though."

Mendoza nodded. "Okay. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Doctor."

He left after checking Sally's vitals again. Everything was normal as she had predicted. She sat back against the hospital pillows and contemplated the morning's incident. Did that really happen, or did she just have some sort of neurological, or psychological episode? If it was psychological, it would indicate shock, likely from experiencing the earthquake. It happened to people all the time, but she didn't think that was it. Being a soldier in the war and fighting in extreme combat situations, she had long experience in dealing with trauma, both her own, and other people's. She'd seen things that would keep her up at night for the rest of her life. If this was a psychotic break, why now? She didn't dismiss the possibility, but it didn't seem probable. 

If it was neurological, that would be indicative of a physical problem inside her body. But again, that didn't seem likely either. If there was a neurological problem, she'd been asymptomatic up until this morning. Usually, these types of circumstances happened after a long history of medical issues that were typically difficult to explain, and diagnose. Up until now, she'd been perfectly fine. Her medical records were off the charts in terms of being in tip top shape. And quite frankly, she _felt_ perfectly fine, albeit a little groggy which she could blame on the sedative. 

So then what was the alternative? A supernatural occurrence? Everything she'd ever known, believed, been taught as a scientist railed against the idea. It was preposterous, but right now, Sally was at a complete loss about how to explain it.

Could Heimlich Bensen be some otherwordly creature? Some demonic being? No, he _couldn't_ be. He was just an asshole. So what was that? Why did he take off so quickly? 

" _Ugh!_ " Sally groaned and banged her head against the flat pillows in frustration. This was going nowhere. Her brain was chasing itself in circles like a dog after its own tail. Her eyes darted about the room, landing on the vid screen mounted on the wall opposite her bed. There probably wasn't a transmission yet, but she grabbed the remote anyway and clicked on the screen.

Surprisingly, it was working. Sally was immediately bombarded with an aerial view of what must have been the remains of Sanq, if the surrounding landscape was anything to go by. Sally swallowed the lump in her throat as the media hovercraft flew over what was once a magnificent city. One of the most cherished in the world. The kingdom had been a huge conglomerate of wealth and prestige. It was one of a few select cities contended for the title of World Capital. Its population was known for its diverse educational, cultural, and traditional backgrounds. Sanq's generosity was among the most lauded in the world, often being the first responders when other nations were in need of aid.

It was gone. In an instant, it was wiped off the face of the earth. The tidal wave left nothing behind. The television screen split and the news anchor's somber face appeared beside the shaky footage of Sanq's ruins. Her eyes were shiny with tears and her voice trembled as she repeated what Sally had heard before in the crowd outside the hospital. _No survivors_. Sally choked on her grief as it seemed to swell in her throat and block her airway. Her hand rose to her mouth and she bent her head down and wept. All those people. Those _families_. _Relena._..

The anchor abruptly switched over to another breaking news story and Sally picked up the word "Gundam" through the rushing sound in her ears. Her head shot up and she stared at the television in disbelief. This time, the familiar faces of five men scrolled across the screen, their names listed beside each photo. Giant scare quoted letters spelled out " _Gundam Pilots?_ _Murdered?"_

Sally froze, a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Oh, _shit."_

She leaned over towards the table next to the bed, hands scrabbling desperately for the phone. She grabbed it and pulled it into her lap.

"This fucking thing better be working." 

She picked up the receiver. Honestly, this was the most technologically advanced hospital in the world and they were _still_ using pre-colony phones? She placed it against her ear and heard a dial tone. _Hallelujah!_  She quickly dialed Une's direct number.

After two rings there was a click. " _What?_ " Une's voice barked into the phone.

"General Une, this is Sally."

"Dr. Po? What the - where the hell are you? What the fuck happened?!"

"I'm - not sure. I'm at the hospital. I had some sort of episode -"

"What some sort of episode? What happened? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I can't really explain it over the phone -"

"Wait." There was the sound of something covering the phone's mic and muffled voices as Une spoke to someone in the room. Her garbled voice rose in pitch indicating she was yelling at someone. Sally smirked. 

After a few more seconds, Une was back. "How soon can you get back here? Is the hospital gone?"

"No, there wasn't much damage. Is everyone there okay?"

"Yes, yes, everyone's fine," Une said impatiently. "I want you back here on the double. We've got big problems."

"Yeah, I know. Did you see the news cast?"

"Wh - _no!_  Cambridge called me almost an hour ago saying something about ESUN Headquarters under attack. He said he was leaving for the hospital. I have no idea why. It's not the designated safe zone when there's a crisis, but he couldn't be talked out of it. I was supposed to be there forty five minutes ago for a press conference, but he said to stay put until further notice. I haven't heard from anyone since. I have no idea what's going on! I don't -" There was more muffled yelling. 

"General, there was a news story - I was just watching. They just leaked the identities of the Gundam Pilots."

Une was silent for a moment and then, "What?" Her voice was quiet, calm even, but Sally heard the explosion behind it before it came. 

"Their names and faces are all over the TV." 

"..... _What?!_ "

Sally continued, "They're reporting on the murders..." She looked back up and saw an old photo of Mariemaia Kushrenada on the screen. One from way back during her failed attempt to launch the original Operation Meteor. The words " _Assassinated!"_   and a smaller subtitle, " _Are they connected?_ " loomed at the bottom of the newscast. "Oh my _God!_ "

"What?! What is it? _What's going on?!"_ Une's voice was shrill, frenetic.

"What the f -"

" _Sally!_ "

"Sorry. Th - Mariemaia Kushrenada? Did you know about that?"

There was a loud bang on the other end of the line. A muttered, "God damn it. I'm going to kill that fucking bitch..." Then louder, "Yes, I found out from Cambridge about an hour ago or so ago. Same profile as the Gundam murders."

Sally cursed. "What is going _on?"_

"Your guess is as good as mine. You know what? On second thought, stay there. I want you to be there when Cambridge arrives. Have him contact me as soon as he gets there."

"Okay. But, General -"

"Where's Bensen? Is he there?"

A chill shot down Sally's spine at the mention of his name. "No. I guess he went back to Headquarters. One of the doctors told me. I uh -" Sally scratched her head. "I never saw him leave." 

"Fucking hell, that good for nothing - I'll never understand why Cambridge appointed him as Surgeon General."

Sally struggled for a response. "Yeah, well...he's a really good doctor," she finished lamely.

"Whatever. Between you and me, I think there's something wrong with the guy."

"You're not the only one," Sally muttered under her breath.


	11. June 23rd, AC 206, 12:23pm

Une hung up with Sally after telling her to stay at the hospital. She'd sounded spooked when Dr. Bensen's name came up. Sally wasn't easily spooked and that set Une on edge. Something strange was going on and she was chomping at the bit to find out what.

Too much was happening all at once and Une felt powerless, out of control. She despised that feeling. She had no clue what Cambridge meant when he'd said there was an attack. There was so much chaos when he'd called her, on both ends, and Cambridge hurriedly disconnected the call before Une could learn anything useful. There'd been no communication since.

Now, there was the press to deal with. Sillian, that shit, had done exactly what Une warned her not to do, and now the bitch didn't even have the decency to answer her calls. Granted, the press conference didn't happen when they'd planned, but Une was confident they would be able to get one out on rotation within the next couple of hours. 

And _why_ was Cambridge going to the hospital? The VIP protocol when a security crisis was declared was to head to a remote location in the Swiss Alps. There, a fallout shelter, embedded deep within the mountains was where the leaders from the European nations met when a chemical, biological, or nuclear threat occurred. Its coordinates were highly classifed and only reachable by hovercraft. A holographic projection of a snow-capped mountain top concealed the helicopter landing site. Its electrical system ran solely on renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and water. It had its own contained wireless server, virtually unhackable from the outside. 

So why the hell wasn't Cambridge on the first aircraft heading over there? Why was everyone acting so weird? Had the world gone completely mad? Une spun in her chair and kicked the metal filing cabinet next to her desk. It tipped briefly onto its side, then righted itself. 

" _Billings!_ " Une bellowed.

The woman scurried in, looking flushed and stressed. "Yes, Sir?"

"Have you reached Sillian yet?"

"No, Sir."

Une cursed. "Keep trying. I don't give two shits in a barrel how busy she is."

"Yes, Sir."

Une turned her chair in a full circle. Cambridge should have reached the hospital by now. With any luck, he'd be call -

Her vid phone beeped and Une leaned forward to flip the switch. "Prime Minister?"

"General. I'm here at the hospital. What's happened? I just spoke with Dr. Po. She said the media just reported on the Gundam murders?"

"Yes. I'm trying to contact ESMO as we speak. Ms. Sillian has yet to respond."

"Alright, let me deal with her."

"What's this attack you were talking about? Who attacked? What's going on?"

Cambridge looked uneasy. "It's difficult to explain."

"Can you at least _try?_ " Une asked, exasperated.

"General...there's things happening right now that aren't easy to verbalize without sounding ludicrous."

Une waited.

Cambridge threw up his hands when he realized Une wasn't letting him off easy. "There are...forces at play here..."

"Forces."

"Yes. Forces meaning, something we aren't accustomed to dealing with."

"Who isn't accustomed to dealing with what?"

"People, General. Human beings."

"Are you insulting my intelligence, Prime Minister?"

"No! No, I'm -" Cambridge stopped, grasping for the right words. "Is this channel secure?"

Une rolled her eyes. "Of course it is!"

Cambridge sighed. "Okay, look..." He leaned forward. "There are forces at play, of a...supernatural nature."

Une stared at him. "Is this some sort of joke?"

"General, I wish it was, but I'm afraid not."

"So, you're telling me that you were attacked by ghosts?" She made a helpless gesture with her hands.

"No, not ghosts. At least I don't think so."

Une raised an eyebrow. "Okay...?"

"More like demons."

"Okay, Prime Minister. I think we're done here. Call me back when you're ready to discuss serious issues."

"Wait, General." Une's hand paused over the switch. "Please, I know it sounds ridiculous and I know you think I'm nuts, but I assure you, this is serious. This is really happening and quiet honestly, I'm terrified of what's to come."

"Prime Minister, with all due respect, I don't know how you can honestly expect me to believe Earth Sphere Unified Nations was attacked by demons. What am I supposed to do with this information? Call an exorcist?" 

"I only wish that were possible."

"Goodbye, Prime Minister. I'll talk to you soon."

"Une."

She paused again. "What?"

"Please be careful. I know you don't believe me now, but soon you will. Review ESUN's security footage of the attack. You will see there is something beyond human capability going on here. And these attacks will spread and I'd imagine Preventers is high on the hit list as well. The quakes will continue, too. This has been in the making for a long time." Cambridge shook his head, looking down. "I'd hoped, wished, it would never come to pass, but the pieces are beginning to fall into place." He looked up, his eyes sad. "The murders of the Gundam Pilots and Ms. Khushrenada have created a domino effect and I'm afraid things are going to get much worse."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Cambridge slammed his hand down on the table so hard, Une jumped back in surprise. He hissed into the camera. "I'm talking about Judgement Day, General. We are living in the end times and it's only a ma -"

The connection cut and the phone screen went dark as the signal was lost. Une stared at the phone for a long time, utterly confused. 

"What the _fuck_ did I just hear?"

"Sir! Sir, I lost the signal to ESMO. I don't know what happened, but it went down. It was working, but now there's nothing coming out. I can't get through." Billings came rushing in, out of breath.

"Ugh. Typical. Alright maybe it'll come back. Keep an eye on it. I want to speak with Sillian, asap."

"Yes, Sir."

Une woke her computer and located the surveillance footage for ESUN's Headquarters. She connected to the corresponding satellites and waited for the feed to load. After a few moments, a blip shot up the screen and then settled. It split, automatically separating the multiple signals into different camera angles. Une watched as hundreds of ESUN employees, both civilian and military, milled about. They strolled across hallways, in and out of offices and elevators, carried folders and files, talked on cell phones, shot the shit at each other's desks.

The camera in the far left corner flashed, static scrolled up from the bottom, then it flashed again. It was the camera pointed at the main entrance. Une peered closely at the screen as the automatic doors swished open and Heimlich Bensen walked in. He stopped just inside the entry and stood unmoving for several minutes. Then, his head turned to the side and his chin lifted, staring right into the camera. Une shivered as she got the feeling he could actually see her, even though she knew this moment had already occurred. She glanced at the camera's recorded time. It read 10:23am, just over two hours ago. Thirteen minutes before she was supposed to call Cambridge back to tell him she was leaving. Cambridge had called her around 10:29am and informed her they were under attack. She'd been unable to get a line though to the complex since then. 

She watched Bensen closely as he stared into the camera, though every nerve in her body was screaming at her to turn the monitor off. The man's lips turned up at the corners. Dark, shadowy shapes materialized on either side of him. Four of them, to be exact. Two on each side. They flanked him like loyal guards and made no move to advance further into the building. It was almost as if they were waiting for an order. Une squinted and strained her eyes, trying to decipher any details, faces, features, but there were none. Only vague humanoid shapes. She could see right through the partially translucent forms to the walls and door behind, distorted, even though they appeared two dimensional. People walked right through them, unseen. They didn't even seem to notice Bensen standing there, still staring into the security camera. 

A second later, Bensen's arm rose, his index finger pointed forward, the other fingers curling into his palm. His mouth opened, wider than any human could possibly do without unhinging their jaw. It transitioned into a black, gaping maw, unleashing what looked like a dreadfully ear-curdling scream. Une was absurdly thankful the security cameras didn't have mics. 

With that gesture, the shadows moved, into the crowds of people. The workers began dropping like flies, swiftly cut down by unseen figures. Torsos were slashed open, throats cut, necks broken. Within a few seconds, the lobby was empty but for the dozens of bodies left behind. The camera winked out and Une's eyes shifted to the one beside it, watching the same ghastly scene play out in the waiting area. When that screen darkened, it repeated on the next screen, then the next, until every single camera had recorded the grisly slaughter of every person unfortunate enough to cross the path of those - those creatures. The last video feed went dark and Une sat, paralyzed with terror. She raised a fist to her lips and pressed, not knowing what the next course of action was. 

She nudged her computer monitor back on, rewound the footage, and watched it again, her mind desperately trying to find a rational explanation. The second time only unnerved her more.

Une turned her head to her open office door. "Billings?" Her voice wavered with uncertainty and fear for the first time since this all began.

Billings stepped in the office, looking alarmed at her boss' sudden change in demeanor. Une finally raised her eyes from the darkened monitor and spoke in a shaky, raspy whisper.

"Get everyone in my office for weapons' detail. Now."

 

 


	12. June 23rd, AC 206, 1:13pm

Relena rested comfortably in an overstuffed armchair. A few feet away, a crackling fire radiated delightful heat, curling around her like a warm blanket. She was clean, dry, and fed, which made her contentedly sleepy. The medicinal herbs Ginetti had put in the soup and tea were not only delicious, but they soothed away her aches and pains, reduced her sniffles, and all but obliterated her hacking cough. 

She'd climbed into a delightfully salted hot bath some hours ago which drove away the chill that settled deep in her bones. Placing a rolled up towel behind her head, she closed her eyes, and inhaled the soothing scent of lavender. It was just the thing to ease her stress, though she knew her troubles were far from over. They nibbled at the back of her mind, but for the moment, she pushed them away. She needed the respite. There was time to address the...well, crazy was the best word she could think to describe her experience. It was hard to believe that just that morning, she'd been lost in the woods, filthy, wet, and freezing. Even harder to believe that she was led to safety by the spirits of her five deceased friends. 

After her bath, she cracked the door open to find a stack of clean clothing, folded neatly on a chair near the door. She quickly grabbed the garments and pulled them into the bathroom, slipping on the over sized linen nightshirt and sleep pants. The cotton was worn and soft and it felt luxurious. Ginetti also left a wool cardigan and a pair of slippers. They were a little big, but incredibly comfortable and Relena basked in the simplistic opulence. She dried and combed her hair, hanging the towels on a nearby rack to dry, then ventured out in search of Ginetti. 

She found him in the kitchen, stirring a heavenly scented broth made from lamb, garlic, and fresh herbs. The kitchen was shrouded from floor to ceiling with lush green plants, filling the space with an earthy aromatic perfume that both alerted and comforted the senses. Relena reached out and gently touched the tiny delicate foliage of a basil plant. She leaned forward, the leaves tickling her nose as she sniffed the acrid spice. 

"Ah! There you are. You're looking much better."

Relena jumped, embarrassed that she'd been caught. She smiled at her host sheepishly. "Thanks to you, I feel much better. I never thought I'd be warm again." 

Ginetti looked sympathetic. "I'd imagine your endeavor was pretty frightening."

She nodded, "It was."

The small Italian man clapped his hands. "Well, no need for such negative thoughts now. You're safe and you can stay as long as you need to. I'm afraid I don't have a vehicle as I'm rather a recluse, but I'll certainly help you to the nearest civilized town once you're strong enough to travel."

Surprised, Relena asked, "But how do you get around? Don't you need to get supplies? What happens if you're injured, or ill?" 

"This place pretty much runs itself." Ginetti raised his hands, palms up. "I grow my own food, I have a few goats and cattle out back. My solar panels give me all the energy I need. I do have a few technological devices, but I don't use them much. I travel into town three times a year to stock up on supplies I can't produce myself. I have a stable behind the house with a gelding and mare. They will be our ticket out when he do hit the road."

"Why do you live like this?" Relena asked, then blushed, ashamed. "I'm sorry. That was terribly rude of me."

Ginetti held up a hand. "No need to apologize. I like your bluntness." He grinned. "It's a fair question. I'm an archaeologist, or was, once. I was disgraced from my peers over an incide - well, you don't need to know all that. Let's just say, they didn't like what I stood for, and I was ostracized from the scientific community."

"Hmmm...and what do you stand for?"

He smiled, shrugged, "Truth. Honesty. Integrity."

"And those were bad qualities?"

"No, not exactly. Just when it came to certain subjects."

Relena cocked her head in curiosity. "What kind of subjects?"

Ginetti studied her. "You're quite an inquisitive young lady, you know that?"

She grinned mischievously, "It's one of my many charms."

Ginetti's head tipped back and he bellowed out a hearty laugh. He regarded her with a gentle smile, shaking his head. "I see I'm going to have my hands full with you. Come, sit. I'll tell you everything your heart desires, but first, you need to eat." He picked up two bowls of steamy broth and carried them to a small table that stood in front of a bay window. More herbs sat in little planters on the window's sill, and hung down in front of the glass panes on little hooks. Ginetti set the bowls down and pulled out a chair for her. Relena thanked him graciously and sat down. She leaned over her bowl, breathing in the aromatic bouquet of earthy vegetables and herbs. The savory steam immediately went to work opening up her clogged sinuses, soothing her irritated lungs. 

"Mmmm...this smells delicious." She picked up her spoon and dipped it into the broth. It was laden with bits of tender lamb and fresh leeks, onion, carrots, and spinach. 

"Well, I hope so. I like it and I'm the only judge of my cooking, I'm afraid. I've no idea how to cook for another person." He'd gone back to the stove and picked up a steaming iron tea kettle. He dropped what looked like homemade tea bags into two mugs and poured the boiling water over them. Then he grabbed a small basket from the counter and brought them all to the table.

He set a mug down in front of Relena and placed the basket, filled with slices of crusty bread in the middle of the table. "Bon Appetit." 

Relena laughed. "Thank you." She grabbed a slice of bread, dipped it in the broth and took a healthy bite. Oh, it was incredible! She had no idea if it tasted so good because she was extremely hungry, or if Ginetti was just that good a cook. She'd barely eaten more than a few bites of anything since she'd learned of the murder of her friends, and that was almost three days ago. Then again, Ginetti used the freshest ingredients and from the looks of it, he cooked all the time. Either way, the food was an explosion of comforting and exotic flavors dancing across her tongue. Relena ate with gusto, stopping to compliment Ginetti every so often between ravenous bites. Ginetti accepted the praise humbly, flattered that his guest was thoroughly enjoying his culinary skills. 

Full from the meal, Relena helped clear the dishes from the table before Ginetti shooed her into the living room to sit and rest up. There was a worn sofa and two arm chairs that flanked a stone fireplace. It was the picture of cozy and quaint. She was overjoyed to sink down into one of the chairs and pull an afghan over her lap, reveling in the heat of the fire. 

Outside, the rain picked up again and it battered against the cottage, but instead of being dreary and unnerving, it now added a warm ambiance. She sat silently, eyes closed, for a long time just listening to the steady drum of raindrops on the roof and the clanking of dishes in the kitchen as Ginetti cleaned up. 

Along one wall of the living room was a wide window and underneath, two long shelves lined with books. Relena got up and wandered over, slippers scuffling along the wood planked floor, and scanned the binders. There were volumes on archaeology, paleontology, world history, books on ancient cultures, and interestingly enough, books on the occult. Relena raised an eyebrow and pulled one such book out, glancing at the cover. _History of the Apocalypse_. She slid it back into its pocket and grabbed another one, _Judgement Day and The End of Times_. A third, _Ancient Prophesies and A Brief History of Demonic Rituals._  

Relena put the book back and shuddered. No, she certainly didn't need to be reading anything like that after what she'd just gone through. She made a mental note to ask Ginetti about his choice of literature and skimmed her eyes over the lower row of books. These were fiction and she recognized many great literary classics. She nearly squealed as she spotted a worn copy of  _Les Misérables,_ one of her all time favorites. 

She stood up, hugging the book to her chest and scurried back to her chair, pulling the throw back over her legs, and delving into the pages of her novel.

She had no idea she'd nodded off until Ginetti's gentle shaking startled her. She apologized for falling asleep, but Ginetti gently scolded her, insisting she do no such thing. She smiled politely and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Nearly five."

She bolted up in surprise. "Really? I slept for almost four hours?" 

Ginetti lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "You must have needed it. If you're hungry again, I've supper ready."

Relena was somewhat surprised to discover she was. Her appetite had returned in full force and her stomach rumbled when she caught a whiff of what smelled like a roast and potatoes. She nodded enthusiastically and followed Ginetti into the kitchen. 

"Wow, Mr. Gi - Albert. I hope you didn't do all this on my account." 

While Relena slept, Ginetti was apparently cooking up a storm. Not only was there a plump, juicy roast in the center of the table, surrounded by baby potatoes, but there was also a dish of honey-glazed carrots and fresh baked bread. 

"Don't be silly! How often do I get to cook for guests? I rather enjoyed it. Please, sit. Eat. There's plenty of food here. I may have gotten carried away." Ginetti chuckled. 

Relena laughed, tickled. "Maybe a little. But this looks absolutely scrumptious. I can't wait to dig in." 

Ginetti pulled her chair out. "Please, do."

The both ate heartily and again, the food was spectacular. The roast had an incredible melt-in-your-mouth herbal crust. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside. The glazed carrots were sweet and savory, sprinkled with rosemary, and the bread was soft, still warm from the oven. Ginetti evidently churned his own butter and served a pat of it on a chilled metal plate. It was absolutely perfect. Relena was almost positive it was the best meal she'd ever eaten and told Ginetti such. 

He chuckled, a little embarrassed. "You flatter me so. You're going to give me an inflated ego!" 

Relena waved her hand. "I don't think that's possible. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met. I keep wondering what the catch is."

"Catch?"

Relena took a sip of water and nodded. "Yes. You seem almost too good to be true. I'm on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop."

 


	13. June 23rd, AC 206, 5:22pm

Sally watched as more military personnel arrived at the hospital. Patients were being moved from their rooms to interior areas of the building. At times, they were crammed together, multiple patients per room. The areas previously occupied by those patients were being turned into a makeshift base of operations. Stock piles of supplies were coming in by the truckload. 

Among those, Sally noticed, were weapons. Lots and lots of weapons. Cases of fully automatic rifles, handguns, machine guns, rocket launchers, and grenades were carried in with forklifts, stacked along the walls of the hallways.

Not long after Une's warning that Prime Minister Cambridge was headed to the hospital, he'd stormed in, his generals in tow, announcing the facility was in lockdown until further notice. 

Soldiers in ESUN uniforms were donning Kevlar vests and bullet proof helmets. Armed to the teeth, they gathered in droves at every entry point into complex. Snipers were stationed on the roof and in areas surrounding the hospital, hidden deep in the woods, camouflaged among the trees. Civilian hospital staff who tried to intervene were subdued and apprehended. 

At the forefront of what was now looking like battle preparation, was Cambridge. The former Alliance commander had essentially declared martial law over the hospital and was turning it into a military stronghold. The doors and windows were being barricaded, large sheets of gundanium covering weak access points. The loud buzzing and popping of power tools was ear-splitting to Sally's still-recovering senses. 

She roamed the hospital in search of Cambridge. The man never seemed to stay in one place for more than a few minutes. She found him in the lower levels after an irate staff member angrily relayed how Cambridge had kicked everyone upstairs. He'd apparently chosen the lower floors as his command post. At the moment, he was bellowing at a few unfortunate technicians who were having some difficulty establishing communications with the other sovereign nations in the area. 

Sally, who'd been trying to speak with him since his arrival, stood near the large desk Cambridge had commandeered and waited for the man to quit barking. 

"Prime Min -"

"I don't care what the problem is. I want a secure line out and I want it now. We must have contact with the other nations. There's no time to waste."

"Prime Minister, excuse me -"

"Yes, what - who are you? How did you get down here?"

"Prime Minister, it's Dr. Sally Po. I'm here under General Une's ord -"

"Oh, yes. Dr. Po. I didn't know you were still here. As you can see, I'm very busy. What can I do for you?"

"Yes, I noticed. That's what I was going to inquire about. What is going on?"

Bushy white eyebrows lowered over icy gray eyes. "I really don't have time to explain."

"You are locking down a civilian hospital, I think people deserve -"

"This hospital is under military jurisdiction -"

"Which is run by civilians. Now, tell me what is going on."

Cambridge looked around, then back down at Sally. "Alright, come with me." He pointed at the soldiers working on the communication wires. "I want those up and running when I get back."

"Yes, Sir."

He led her down a short hallway to an empty room and shut the door behind them. Sally crossed her arms. "Well?"

Cambridge shifted, brushed a knuckle across his nose. "You - I'm assuming you met Dr. Bensen."

That same jolt of fear raced down her spine. She stammered, "Uh, I - yes?"

"Did he seem...off to you?"

Sally observed Cambridge closely, not sure how much of her experience - hallucination? - she should share. "You could say that. What's this all about?"

Cambridge leaned against the door and closed his eyes, looking as though he'd aged twenty years in the span of hours. He looked tired, resigned. "I - he's something - I'm going to sound certifiable saying this, but...I don't believe he's human."

That sparked Sally's interest. Cautiously, "What makes you say that?"

Cambridge's head lowered. He shot her a vaguely surprised look that she hadn't just dismissed him outright. "Did you have any strange experiences with him?"

Sally was getting tired of this game of avoidance. "Just tell me what you know, Prime Minister."

"We were attacked...by Dr. Bensen, I believe. My team and I barely made it out. I knew there was something about him, but I just couldn't be sure." He sighed, his head bumping against the door. "Now I know."

"Now you know what?"

"He's been planning this for a long time, I'm sorry to say, Doctor. There's a war coming. Bloodier and more deadly than any human has ever faced in our entire existence." He raised his hands helplessly, palms up. "Judgement Day is upon us."

"What the hell are you saying?"

"Bensen - we appointed him because we knew he was an extraordinary doctor. He would have to be in order to become General Khushrenada's personal physician. His allegiance was shady at first, but after his exoneration, we thought he'd make a very influential surgeon general." Cambridge shook his head, "But, he always seemed strange to me. I found myself uncomfortable being alone in a room with him."

"Strange how?"

"Strange - I wasn't sure at the time, but I must have known somewhere deep down, I always knew. That's why I built this place." He softly knocked on the wall with a knuckle.

Sally waited, breath halting, "What, Prime Minister?" Her pounding heart threatened to bust through her rib cage.

He sighed, a long defeated sound. "The Prophecy."

"What prophecy?" 

"Most people don't know this, but before the wars, before I ever put on an Alliance uniform, I was heavily involved with Dekim Barton's inner circle."

" _What?_ " Sally sputtered.

"This was pre-war, mind you. A good forty years ago. Dekim was - well, he was a very strong advocate for colony independence and he had a lot of supporters. Including me."

"But you were part of the Alliance! You were very outspoken against Operation Meteor."

"Yes, well. Things happened...within the Foundation, which bled into the other close knit factions. They weren't things the general members of these organizations were privvy to. Only those in the know, and that was a very select few."

"What kind of things?" Sally asked, though she was pretty sure she didn't want to know. 

"Strange things. Cultish things. Dekim told his followers that the Earth Sphere was going to destroy the colonies and enslave the people. He became obsessed with a prophecy he'd read in some ancient scriptures he'd gotten a hold of. How these sacred texts got into his possession is beyond me. He never told anyone. After a while, our monthly meetings would begin with Dekim raving about God, the Devil, demons, and the End of Days. He began speaking Latin almost exclusively in these meetings and he taught the inner circle how to read and speak it. He preached about the evils of the Earth and how God had spoken to him about how to save the colonies -"

There was a knock at the door and Cambridge cursed. He turned and opened it just a crack. "What?" 

Sally could hear the tech's voice, "Sir, we got the line going."

"Good. I'll be there in a few." The sound of boot heels clacked down the hallway before Cambridge closed the door again. "Anyway, that was how Operation Meteor, his brainchild, came to be."

"Because God told him to?"

"He said God was guiding the colonies to independence and freedom and that destroying the Earth was the only way to accomplish that."

"And you guys believed that?"

"No, Doctor, not all of us. There were a few of us who refused to buy the dogma. It seemed preposterous at the time. The ravings of a madman. Unfortunately, the ones who tried to leave were killed. I barely made it out alive myself. I escaped to Earth with only the clothes on my back and was protected by The Romefeller Foundation for a time, before General Khushrenada took control. I left and joined the Alliance, only wanting the Earth and the colonies to live in peace. It wasn't until after the first war that I did start to believe that maybe Barton was onto something, or had set something in motion."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that OZ and White Fang were working closely with Dekim. There was some sort of secret pact between Dekim, Treize, Quinze, and Zechs. Dekim told them all about the prophecy. He believed the Gundams were tools of the Devil, convinced the Pilots were demons. He was furious about being betrayed by the scientists who built them. He promised the faction leaders that if they helped him, not only would they be avenged, but they would achieve eternal life. That was about the time Bensen began making a name for himself, though I believe he'd been involved for quite a while before that. I always found it odd how that slippery, little bastard managed to weasel his way into the inner circle."

"When was this?"

"About a year before Treize was killed. Dekim promised them that they could reach the highest celestial status in the eyes of God. Bensen somehow convinced them that Dekim was telling the truth."

"How?" 

"I really don't know how. All I do know is that there is a prophecy and that prophecy is real. For everything that was wrong about Dekim, he was right about that. We're about to enter a world of shit, Doctor."

"Who is Bensen? What is he?"

Cambridge opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by frantic knocking. He turned and yanked the door open. 

"Sir, you need to see this." It was one of Cambridge's generals. He looked grave. 

They followed him down the hall to the break room where a vid screen was mounted in a corner. More news...more devastation?

_Another quake?_

This one struck the western seaboard of North America, but it did far more than take out one city. A long, narrow swath of the continent, from the far northeast corner of British Columbia down to the western edge of Mexico, was gone. Sunk. Into the Pacific. The earth's crust had cracked miles below the surface, originating just east of Oregon's border with Idaho. The crack spread rapidly to the north and south, everything west of it breaking off and separating from the rest of the continent. The split tipped the long broken strip of earth, rocking it back and forth in the Pacific like a toy boat, spilling buildings and people alike into the sea.

After the rocking, came the sinking, both of which pushed giant waves onto the outermost edges of Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, eastern Mexico, Alaska, and Alberta, Canada. It swept away millions of more lives with it. It took a total of thirty six minutes for the floating shelf of earth to sink. Only thirty six minutes for thousands of miles of land to disappear under the ocean.

Sally stared at the screen, her hands over her mouth. An icy feeling of dread settled in her gut. She chanced a look at Cambridge. His face was grim, but not shocked. Slowly, his head turned, meeting Sally's eyes.

"It's begun." 


	14. June 23rd, AC 206, 6:04pm

Billings stood with her arms crossed over her large bosom, the fingers of one hand in her mouth, anxiously nibbling on the nails. A clipboard with an inventory list was squeezed in the crook of her bent arm. A pen in her other hand. The building's armory was dark and musty, the weapons stored inside unused for a long time. She'd had quite the sneezing fit a few minutes ago from the now disturbed dust in the air and her nose still prickled. She watched as General Une went over the rather impressive stock pile of guns and ammunition. 

Even as a Preventer, weapons made her nervous. She'd joined during peacetime and enjoyed the somewhat civilian-type work that was required as Une's assistant. Office work, mostly. She'd honestly never been in the armory in the two years she'd worked here and the room made her uneasy. She surveyed the rows of machine guns and high powered rifles mounted on the wall with metal racks. Cases of explosives were lined along the walls and stacked under assembly tables. Bare bulbs stuck out of the concrete walls, casting a sickly yellowish glow. Her stomach roiled queasily. 

"Billings!" She jumped, dropping the pen. It clattered onto the cement floor. Mumbling an apology, she bent down to retrieve it. She held the clipboard away from her body and rested her hand over it, pen poised. 

Une's brows lowered in disapproval. "Pay attention," she barked. She looked frazzled, her brown hair coming loose from their buns, falling across her face and neck in unruly wisps. The light reflected off the lenses of her glasses resulting in a glare, rendering her brown eyes almost invisible behind them. Her mouth was pursed, turned down in a perpetual frown that seemed to have become a permanent part of her expression since - well, since the murdered Gundam Pilots were discovered. 

Une had called her into her office a short time ago. Her voice, usually laden with authority, was shaken, a raspy whisper. Her face was ghostly white and Billings' stomach dropped to her feet when Une's eyes met hers. There was a fear there that Billings had never seen before and it terrified her. She had no idea what spooked the General so much that she needed to gather the attending Preventers and open the armory. Une hadn't said anything about it.

Whatever the General saw, it must have been terrible. Billings trembled, her pen hand shaking over the clipboard as she jotted down quantities and the condition of each weapon. Dozens of Berettas and Brownings, Winchester assault rifles, M16's, L86's, and M249's were pulled down from their mounts, inspected, and loaded. Une rattled off the inventory in quick succession and Billings scribbled the information onto the sheet attached to the clipboard, trying to keep up. Boxes of shells were loaded into crates along with cases of dynamite, TNT, and hand grenades. Items that were obviously defective were discarded into a recycling bin to be inspected and/or disposed of later. Bullet-proof vests were handed out as well as helmets. 

While each Preventer was issued a Glock 9mm, and were given rifles to keep in their vehicles, they rarely carried more than that with them unless they were executing a raid. Une turned towards Billings, an M16 under her arm, and a thirty round magazine in her hand. She looked it over with a critical eye, then slapped the magazine into the weapon's hand grip, the loud click as it locked sparked a jolt of adrenaline through Billings and she shuddered. Une cocked the hammer to load the first round into the chamber, her sharp eyes locking with Billings as she held the weapon out towards the nervous woman. 

Billings groaned internally, dread seeping into her bones. She really didn't want to do this. Une instantly caught the uncertainty and thrust the weapon forward, her eyes firm, leaving Billings little choice but to take the weapon. "Take it. Billings..."

"Yes, Sir," she mumbled. She transferred the pen in her right hand to her left and reached out shakily. 

Une pulled the weapon back abruptly. "Stop shaking. We are facing a world of shit, Billings. You are a Preventer. Act like it and pull yourself together." She held the gun out again. 

Billings visibly collected herself with a decisive nod and extended her hand, steadier this time. Her fingers wrapped around the body of the gun. The metal was cold, hard, unforgiving. She felt the press of her Glock in its holster, a weapon she carried, but never used, and grasped the M16, pulling it towards her body. 

Une nodded, satisfied. "Keep that one with you at all times." She grabbed a vest and handed it over. Billings set the clipboard and pen aside, propping the gun next to a crate. She slid the vest on and clasped the fasteners, then picked up the rifle and slipped the strap over her shoulder. Une slid her own vest on and fastened it, then leaned over to grab the clipboard and pen. She turned to the gathered Preventers who were occupying themselves with inspecting their weapons, checking the scopes, and loading themselves up with ammunition. 

Une tapped the clipboard against the edge of a nearby table, drawing their attention. "Alright, look. I don't really know what is happening, or what to expect. ESUN Headquarters was attacked -" She banged the clipboard against the table again as shocked murmurs rose among the collective. "There was an attack. I don't know how coordinated this attack was, or to what degree, but it looks as though there were mass casualties." Her voice rose as gasps and cries echoed around the armory. "What we do know, is that there may be an impending attack on us and we need to be prepared."

"An attack by whom?" The question came from a young rookie, fresh out of the academy. He stood, fresh-faced and eager, not yet jaded by the world. He looked like a child with big ears that stuck way out from the sides of his head. He held his gun, hands wrapped around grip and barrel, muzzle pointed at the floor. It almost looked too big for him. Une regarded him a moment, trying to remember his name. _Williams? Willard?_

"Wyatt," Billings whispered behind her, knowing Une well enough to figure out she was struggling with the kid's name. Right, Alistar Wyatt. Graduated from the academy only three months ago. Une cleared her throat, grappling for the most delicate way to explain. 

"I don't know." Well, at least it was honest. 

The boy's eyebrows disappeared beneath dark bangs. "Then - how do we know who the enemy is?" 

Une sighed, not sure how to proceed. She'd have to tell them the truth, no matter how outlandish it sounded. "Okay, I'll be straight with you. You all deserve that much. I don't know much of what's going on, but I've spoken to the Prime Minister and he believes this to be true and from what I've seen, I might be inclined to agree with him though I really don't know the depth of the situation." She glanced around the room, looking at each Preventer, was met with wide eyes and expectant faces. These were her coworkers, her underlings. She was responsible for the livelihood of these people. If an attack like the one at ESUN was impending, how many of them would survive? Would _she_ survive? She certainly was no stranger to death. She'd looked it in the eyes enough times during the war. She was usually the aggressor in those situations. She'd put bullets into unarmed people's heads without a second thought. This was different. Now, she was the one being hunted. She was the one who was reacting instead of instigating. Unfamiliar territory, it was.

Now, she stood before the people who looked to her for answers and what did she have for them? Ghosts? Demons? A whole lot of hocus pocus. But...she'd seen things she couldn't explain. Was Cambridge right? What did he know? How much did he know? He'd mentioned the end of the world, but Une couldn't go there. Not yet. It was too soon.

They were still waiting. She took a moment to gain her composure, straightening, squaring her shoulders. A deep breath, hardened eyes, voice firm.  _Here goes nothing..._

"There's something strange going on. Something - something that I don't fully understand. Something that defies all logic and I'll be damned if I can figure out a rational explanation. It appears to be of supernatural origin but -" The armory erupted with sounds of disbelief, tittering. She heard Billings gasp behind her. " _But!_ Even though there is no explanation that I can come up with right now, doesn't mean there isn't one." Her hawk eyes sharpened, brows drawn down severely, effectively quieting the derision. "Who the enemy is, I can't say, because I couldn't really _see_ them, but what I _did_ see was the slaughter of dozens of innocent people and whatever it was that killed them, may be coming here to do the same." More whispers and questions followed, this time without disparagement, fear beginning to dawn.

Une held up her hand and Billings reached for the file she'd set down on a crate. Une swiped the folder and opened it, rifling through the contents. She grasped a sheet of paper and held it up so everyone could see it. It was a photo of Heimlich Bensen. "One thing I do know for sure is that this man is dangerous. You see this man? You kill him on the spot. That's an order."

"Isn't that the Surgeon General?" Another Preventer asked. A seasoned veteran that Une had worked closely with during the war. He stood with an elbow propped against the wall, fist pressed against the side of his head. The barrel of his rifle rested against his shoulder. 

Une nodded. "Yes, it is. Dr. Heimlich Bensen, the ESUN Surgeon General. As of right now, he, and anyone associated with him, is considered armed and extremely dangerous. He orchestrated the attack on ESUN."

Billings swallowed down the iron lump of fear in her throat. "Wh - how? Why?"

Une's head turned, her mouth twitched. "I'm not sure about that yet." She turned back to the group. "But I saw it. I saw him give the order. And Cambridge warned me about him."

"So, we're supposed to kill the Surgeon General if we see him," Wyatt said. It wasn't a question, but a confirmation of what he'd just heard. He looked nervous about the prospect. He fiddled with his gun, hands twitching, eyes darting around. Billings felt sorry for the kid. He'd only just begun to shave, he was so young. She wondered if he would survive an attack if it happened. Kids like him tended to be reckless, prone to cockiness, which was a recipe for disaster when shit hit the fan. She was having doubts about her own survival. Lacking physical prowess, she was overweight, asthmatic, equipped for not much more than office work despite the fact that she always carried a piece. 

Une nodded at the rookie, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Yes, that's what you are ordered to do." The assembled Preventers shuffled on anxious feet. "You will not face any charges should you wind up being the one to pull the trigger. That I promise you." Not very reassuring, but there it was. Provided there would even be a standing government when this was all over, though if Cambridge was to be believed, would this ever be over? What did Bensen want exactly? What was his angle?

"Sir?" Billings piped up. Une turned, waiting. "Would you mind telling us - about - y'know...what you saw?" The assistant chewed on a plump bottom lip, eyes beseeching her boss to share everything she knew. 

Une's eyes narrowed slightly, contemplating. She looked around at her small congregation, her family, almost unable to believe what she was about to do. She bent down to retrieve her rifle, slinging it over her shoulder. "Bring all this upstairs and put it in the back offices. Lock this door when you're finished." Her arm swung towards the armory door, index finger pointed, then turned back to Billings.

"I'll do you one better. I'll show you. Just try not to faint." 

 

 


End file.
